Grin And Bear It
by Faded Silver Eyes
Summary: Manny "The Grinning Devil" Isley's adventures as a Straw Hat pirate. Possibly Yaoi.
1. They Call Him Straw Hat Luffy!

Disclaimer; No I don't own anything.

This is a One Piece fanfic that may possibly turn into a yaoi fic.

Edit; 10/06/11

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 (They Call Him Straw Hat Luffy)<strong>

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><p>On a remote island in the East Blue a ship was beached on shore next to a collection of flimsy cabins. The ship was a horrid, bright thing. It's hull had been painted a florescent pink with darker hearts evenly spaced across the top. The figurehead was a duck, obnoxiously sticking out of the front like a battering ram. It had three masts with square sails, also adorned with hearts, and a Jolly Roger flying from the top of the center mast. The flag was a typical Jolly Roger only with the skull turned on it's side, a heart creating an empty black space in the center of the skull.<p>

"Miss Love Duck" belonged to the notorious "Iron Mace" Alvida. She was a beastly, broad-shouldered woman as wide as she was tall, dressed in a plaid shirt and short pants with a dark overcoat and a cowboy hat. Rumpled waves of black hair puffed out from the bottom of the hat clinging to her face. Her eyes were hard and small and too close together while her painted lips stretched too far to each side making her cheeks jut out. Gaudy rings were worn around every finger on both manly hands. Hands that always carried a spiked club almost as disturbing as it's owner.

Alvida stalked the decks of her immaculate ship under the cautious eyes of her crew. She daintily swiped a finger across the railing and the men tensed as she scrutinized the thick appendage.

"Why is there so much dust?" she said. Her voice carried like a death sentence over the frightened men. She glared from the corner of her eye at one in particular and he panicked.

"S-sorry about that Alvida-sama! I thought I'd already cleaned the whole deck! I-I'l clean it again, so please don't...!" the man begged.

"Don't do what?"

"Please don't hit me with your bludgeon! I don't want to dieeee!" His pleas ended when her club bashed into his face sending him sprawling onto the deck, his blood coloring the wood red.

"Coby! What's the most beautiful thing of all the seas?" she asked one of her crew. The boy was hunched over shivering and he turned to Alvida with wide terrified eyes. His face was rounded with baby fat and his body soft and short. He had limp, pink hair cut in a bowl shape and round glasses that nearly overtook his face. He was sweating and smiling up at the woman nervously.

"That'd be you, Alvida-sama! Eh hehehe." he said.

"That's right! And that's why I absolutely hate dirty things! So I don't want the slightest bit of dust on my ship! Do you hear me?" she said. "I only let you live this long because you know more about navigation than the others."

"Y-yes ma'am. Thank you very much." He was kneeling at her feet like a dog fearfully watching her as she loomed over him.

"But other than that you're totally useless! Now clean my shoes!" she said as she stomped on the cowering boy a few times.

He quickly pulled out a rag to do as ordered. "Y-yes right away ma'am!"

All around him men were cleaning the ship frantically under the beady eyes of their Captain. All except one.

"Ano, Alvida-sama. Someone still needs to inventory the storage shed." The young man who spoke was casually leaning against the deck railing. He was of an average height with a lean, whipcord body and long legs decked in loose pants tucked into short boots. His velvet skin was smoothed over an androgynous face with a straight nose. Heavy lidded eyes, a pale blue with a dark outer ring like an explosion of white lightning against a night sky, leisurely gazed at the woman. They were almost obscured by a soft fall of straight black hair that was mostly swept to one side. A lazy grin decorated his face. From beneath the collar of his dark green shirt peeked out a burst of pale skin that reached up to his left ear. The skin was stretched and delicate looking and stood out sharply against his tan. A scar. Around his waist was a black belt.

"M-manny!" Coby had never been happier to see someone in his life. Alvida on the other hand had turned sour eyes onto her new target.

"You do it you useless idiot!"

"Mah, mah. Alvida-sama. I don't know how. You usually have Coby-san do it." Manny said. He grinned apologetically. It wasn't a lie of course. Coby usually did inventory the supplies but that had only started when Manny came to be on Alvida's ship. Manny hadn't had the heart to ignore the abuse rained down on the pathetic boy's life as Alvida's navigator. It had been easy to trick Alvida into getting Coby to do inventory of their supplies every week. It kept him out of Alvida's way for hours. Manny would usually find little things like that that he could get Alvida to make Coby do that would send him away for a while.

That was the start of a tentative friendship, but even though he'd known the older boy for almost a year now, he barely knew him. Manny was a mystery that skillfully dodged and weaved away from questions he didn't want to answer. Coby could be easily nudged by the dark-haired man into hour long rambles before he'd even realize that he'd been manipulated and by then they were well away from the original topic. Then again Coby was easily manipulable.

"Fine!" Alvida yelled kicking Coby toward the ramp. "Go do inventory you wimp!"

"T-t-thanks, Manny!" he whispered as he darted past Manny to do as told, glancing back to see Alvida threatening Manny with the club.

"Ano, Alvida-sama."

"What!" She said pausing in her rant.

Manny held up his hands in placation before pointing to the pirate bleeding all over the deck.

"You know if he stays that way the blood will stain the wood and then you'll have to replace the whole deck." His plan worked when Alvida went into a rage against the rest of the crew for letting something like that happen to her precious ship.

"I will not tolerate ANYTHING dirty! The ship I sail in must be as pristine and beautiful as I am!"

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><p>A while later Manny was repairing one of the sails when he heard the shout from shore. The yell came from the general vicinity of the storage shed. He watched as Alvida stormed over to a shed. The storage shed.<p>

"Mah." Manny mumbled.

He skillfully hopped down from the rigging to make sure she didn't do Coby too much damage.

"That's right! Just now Coby brought a strange guy!"

"What? Could it be someone who's trying to catch me and get a reward? Coby! That brat dares to betray me?" Alvida raged.

Manny grinned at the sight he came upon. The shed was only rubble now with three of Alvida's crew strewn around looking battered. Alvida herself seemed to be working herself up to another ridiculous idea.

"Could it be him? That famous..."

"Nonsense! I heard that he's still being held captive at the marine's prison!" The three men stood around speculating only adding fuel to Alvida's paranoia.

"If he's the real thing, he must have escaped by now. That notoriously evil Roronoa Zolo!" Alvida said.

Manny worried his bottom lip as he watched Alvida lead her crew into the forest to hunt down Coby and the mysterious man. He waited a moment before running off toward Coby's hiding place. The boy had told Manny his plan to build a boat and escape from Alvida when he could muster up the guts to. He was close to the location when he heard a voice yell.

"Are you telling me that you're looking for the 'World's Greatest Treasure'" Coby's voice pierced through the trees. "THE ONE PIECE! You wanna die or something? All the pirates in the world are looking for that treasure!" He sweat dropped before speeding up. Coby was practically broadcasting his location to the whole island with his yelling.

He arrived just in time to see a black haired boy in a straw hat hit Coby on the head. The two younger boys turned to stare at him as he emerged from the foliage his lips stretched into a lazy grin but his body loose and his hands ready at his sides.

"Mah, Straw Hat-san." he drawled coming closer, "Why are you hitting Coby-san?"

The black haired boy shoved his fist out in front of him giving Coby mild glare. "Because I can't stand him!" he said with a resounding but childish sense of finality. The boy was about as intimidating as a ruffled was about Manny's height with scruffy, short, black hair and brown eyes. He wore a red vest and blue shorts with sandals. A straw hat sat perched on his head with a red band around the base. It was slightly worn and old but very well cared for.

A bump formed on Coby's head from where the other boy had hit him but Coby just sat back up and mumbled that he was used to it.

"I'm not afraid of dying!" The other boy suddenly said grabbing hold of his straw hat. Manny and Coby both gave the boy confused looks at the odd statement until he continued. "And that's why I won't mind dying for it."

'Such conviction...' Manny thought eyeing the other boy in a new light as he gazed at his hat with determination. image of a giant grey-haired man with terrible burn scars over his arms came to Manny's mind but he squashed the feelings that rose with it. His mouth went dry and his throat constricted anyway.

"Besides, I think I can do it. Although it could get pretty tough." he continued, casually placing his hat back on his head. Manny looked over to Coby to find tears in the smaller boy's eyes.

'I've never thought of that...' Coby thought.

"...Will I also... be able to accomplish my dream...! If... I'm willing to die..."

Coby's voice was shaky and cracked but it looked like a revelation had spread fire through the boy's veins. Manny could tell Coby had finally figured it out. What Straw Hat-san had probably known before he even began his journey.

"Will I be able to become a Marine?" Coby finished gazing with hope up at the other boy.

"A Marine?" Luffy said.

"Luffy-san, I know it means that we'll be enemies! But joining the marines and catching bad guys... HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY DREAM!" Coby had stood up now his fists clenched. His eyebrows were drawn together and his eyes fierce as he shared his dream with this boy he barely knew.

Manny watched as the scared and timid boy he'd known on Alvida's ship fanned the spark of hope he'd been given by a boy in a straw hat and tried to gather his courage and conviction.

"I have to at least try! I'd rather die trying to get out of here and join the marines, than stay here and be caretaker my entire life! And then Alvida-sama... I'll be able to arrest someone like Alvida!" Manny felt a tingling along his spine and he tensed.

"Who did you say you're going to arrest, Coby?" Alvida burst from the trees and smashed Coby's rickety boat with her mace. Coby screamed. The straw hat boy didn't even flinch.

She yelled looming menacingly over the tiny kid. Manny slid his right leg back in case he needed to interfere. He'd held back before because he'd been able to divert Alvida's attention elsewhere in the past but he could tell this time would be different.

"Do think you can escape from me!" she asked as her crew gathered behind her before turning her attention to the other boy. "Is that who you hired to capture me? He doesn't seem to be Roronoa Zolo. And you've betrayed me too Manny. Anyway, before you die, I'm gonna ask you... What's the most beautiful thing in the sea, Coby?" The black-haired boy gave Alvida a blank look before turning to Coby and Manny pointing his finger at the woman.

"Who's this fat, old hag?" Jaws dropped and eyes bulged as everyone starred at the black haired boy in shock. It only took a moment before Manny doubled over and burst into gut-wrenching laughter bringing attention to himself.

"That kid...!"

"He dares to...!"

The crew began sweating bullets as Alvida's jaw snapped shut and her face turned a blistering red.. Coby jumped at the black-haired boy and grabbed his shoulders eyes wide and body sweating.

"Luffy-san! Quick, repeat after me! In all the seas, this lady is the most..." Coby began before a strange look overtook him and he remembered Luffy's words. "The...THE UGLIEST DAMNED BITCH!" Manny almost chocked on his own spit at the words coming from the usually timid boy. It seemed the black haired boy had an even bigger impact on his little friend than he had thought. The boy in question just gave him a huge grin and shoved Coby behind him.

"Well said, Coby! Now get behind me!"

"Lu..Luffy-san!"

"Both of you..." Alvida brought her mace back gritting her teeth, her fury at the insolent and unrepentant boy building, before bringing it down onto the boy's head. "HAVE TO DIE!"

Manny stared wide-eyed as the kid just grinned up at Alvida, taking the weight of the mace as though she'd swung a pillow down onto his head and not the iron mace that had crushed many men.

"It's useless against me because my body is rubber. Heh." he said. He watched as Alvida's eyes bulged, her pupils tiny pin pricks as horror made her sweat.

"Im..that's impossible! My mace!" she cried.

"No way!" Her crew shouted in a similar state of mind. The boy stretched his arm out behind him as far as his rubbery body would let him and slammed his fist into Alvida's face.

"Rubber Pistol!"

Alvida fell back unconscious while her crew cried out around her.

"His arm... his arm extended!"

"Captain! Alvida-sama was beaten! By that monster!"

The boy turned his formidable glare onto the crew. The ruffled monkey Manny had thought of before had turned into an angry gorilla.

"Give Coby a dinghy! He wants to join the marines! So stay outta his way!" he said. Manny watched on, his lips twisting into a grin as the crew rushed to fulfill the boy's demand.

"Luffy-san..." Coby said. His face was a picture of awe and tears streamed down his face. He was finally free.

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><p>When it was time to sail off, Manny walked Coby to the dinghy the crew had provided for him. It was a small single-masted boat that wouldn't really take the two very far but Manny supposed just getting off this island would be a blessing for Coby. He watched as the two prepared to set off, both with mile wide grins taking up residence on their faces.<p>

"What are you gonna do now, Manny?" The pink haired boy questioned. He was genuinely curious where his first friend would go since he could no longer sail with Alvida. Manny gave him a lazy grin and leaned back, his thumbs hooked into his belt.

"Dunno. Guess I'll have to find another crew to take me where I wanna go... I wish you luck in the Marines though, Coby. Your dream is within your grasp, you just have to reach out, take hold and never let go. No matter how bumpy the ride gets, ya hear?" Manny said. Coby began sniffling again at his friends encouraging words. He wished he didn't have to say goodbye.

"Oi, come with us."

Manny and Coby turned in surprise, looking at the boy in the straw hat with wide eyes. Manny hadn't thought he'd been listening the way he'd been bouncing around the little dingy throughout the exchange, like an overly excited puppy, but the boy just gave him a goofy grin as he held out his hand to Manny.

"I like you! So come with us." He said as though it was as simple as taking his hand and getting onto the boat.

After a moment, Manny gave a chuckle before grasping the hand. He supposed it really was that easy. Besides, he was back to square one anyway so he might as well see where the carefree boy took him.

"Manny Isley, at your service."

"Monkey D. Luffy!" The boy said with a grin. "I'm gonna be the King of Pirates!"

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><p>A while after they set off onto the bright blue sea the silence was broken by Manny.<p>

"Ano, you ate the Gomu Gomu fruit, Luffy-san?"

Luffy just grinned at him. He was perched atop the curved and extended bow of the boat his legs crossed. For a person who'd eaten one of the devil's fruit, one would think he would avoid putting himself in such a precarious position but he didn't even appear to care for the deep, deadly sea waiting to swallow him whole just beneath him. Manny wondered if it was stupidity or confidence that gave Luffy so little concern for his own safety.

"That's amazing!" Coby said. "But... Luffy-san, If you're looking for "One Piece"...um... That means you have to enter the "Grand Line," right..?" He was sitting timidly on the bench with his back hunched over and his hands clasped on his knees. Tense and jittery like that, he looked ready to bolt at any second.

"Yep!" Manny grinned at the simple answer.

"That place is known as the pirates' graveyard." Manny said lounging behind Coby, near the mast.

"Yea," Luffy began, glancing over his shoulder at Manny. "That's why I need a strong crew. And one of them is being held captive at the place you're going."

Coby looked confused for a moment. "You mean...Roronoa Zolo?"

"If he's a good guy, I'll let him join my crew!"

"Whaaat? You're dreaming again!" Coby yelled trying to dissuade Luffy. "You can't! He's like a demonic beast!"

"A demonic beast, huh?"

"Isn't he a 'pirate' hunter?" Manny asked. "I don't think he'd turn sides so easily."

"He's a scary person, Luffy-san!"

"We can't be sure about that yet." Luffy said calmly turning back to the sea.

"It'll never work! Rumor says he's like a blood thirsty hound. He wanders the sea and hunts down fugitives! He's a monster in the form of a man." Coby said. The description sounded more like a horror story churned from an exuberant rumor mill than actual fact. The man was probably only about half as frightening.

"Oh yea?"

"So let's drop the idea of recruiting him!" Coby said hysterically waving his hands about.

"I haven't decided whether I'll invite him to join my crew or not. If he's a good guy, then I'll-"

"He's in prison because he's BAD!" Coby interrupted.

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><p>I'm editing this story because I didn't like the way it turned out. The others will be revised too and new chapters added but I don't know how long it'll take. I'm a full time college student and a almost full time worker so I don't have as much time as I'd like to write. Sorry!<p>

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><p>I like criticism! Please review!<p> 


	2. The Great Swordsman Appears!

Disclaimer; No I don't own anything.

This is a One Piece fanfic that may possibly turn into a yaoi fic. It follows the Manga not the anime.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 (The Great Swordsman Appears! Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zolo)<strong>

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><p>"We're finally at the Marines' base!"<p>

Manny grinned watching Luffy boisterously announce the obvious.

"Yep. Finally." he said putting his hands in his pockets and leaning back as he took in the small town. The Marine base in question wasn't easy to miss. It was a massive, hulking structure that towered over the town.

"You're great, Coby!" Luffy announced giving the boy a huge grin.

"Huh?"

"We've actually reached our destination!" Manny couldn't help but give a laugh.

"Of course! That's the basics of navigation!" Coby said with an exasperated expression. "If you wander around at sea every time, you'll never become a pirate. You should at least find-"

"Alright! Let's go eat!" Coby sighed as his lecture completely went over Luffy's head and turned to Manny with a pleading expression.

"Haha. Don't worry so much Coby." he said running to catch up to the hyper boy.

Soon the group of three found themselves sitting inside a restaurant called "Food Foo". Manny was still idly picking at his food when both the other two finished eating and Luffy brought up the inevitable.

"We'll go our separate ways here! You do your best to be a great marine, alright?" Luffy said rubbing his full belly.

"I will...! Thank you so much. Luffy-san, you have to become a great pirate too. Even if we'll be enemies in the future."

"What about you Manny?" Luffy asked the scarred man. Manny gave him a confused look. "What are you gonna do?"

"Ah, I don't know." he said absentmindedly. "I'm trying to get to the grandline so I can't stick around. Sorry Coby." Manny gave the boy an apologetic glance as he pushed his half eaten plate away and leaned back in his chair.

"Eh, the grandline?" Coby asked rubbing away his tears.

"Yup! I'm looking for my brother." Manny said with another grin before Luffy seemed to remember something.

"Say, I wonder if Zolo is still being kept at the Marines' base..." At the name of the infamous swordsman the townspeople leapt up from their seats, overturning tables and chairs, and pressed themselves up against the walls of the restaurant like they'd just seen the devil.

The three boys gave the cowering villagers a strange look.

"Looks like we can't just yell out the name "Zolo"..." Coby whispered as they turned back to their table. Luffy hummed in acknowledgment and Manny felt his lips pull back into his lazy grin.

"Mah, he must be really scary."

"I just saw a notice on the streets, there's someone called Captain Morgan at the Base..." Manny outright laughed this time as people fell over themselves at the name.

"Guess you can't mention anyone's name in this town."

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><p>"Hahahaha! What an interesting restaurant! I gotta go there again!" Coby had dragged his two laughing companions from the establishment and was looking at his two friends in confusion.<p>

"That's strange..! I have a bad feeling about this...!" he said "I could understand why they'd be scared of hearing Roronoa Zolo's name, since he could escape at any time, but why would they be afraid of a Marine Captain's name too?"

"Well, he could've done something bad, right?" Manny answered as they walked down the street. "That's usually what causes fear."

"That's impossible!"

"Manny's probably right." Luffy said as they headed for the Marine base. Coby still looked disbelieving and Manny bit his tongue to keep from bursting the poor boy's spotless perception of the Marines. He'd probably figure it out eventually anyway.

Up close the Marine base was actually a rather ugly thing. It had a single tall, cylindrical tower at the center with a smaller replica at its side flanked by plain looking buildings decked with cannons. The place was surrounded by a high brick wall with a thick metal Gate bearing the marines symbol discouraging uninvited entrance.

"...It looks pretty ugly up close." Luffy said as he gazed up at the oddly shaped buildings. "Well, go ahead Coby."

"B-but I'm not prepared yet...! Besides, that incident at the restaurant got me thinking.." Coby all but panicked clearly intimidated by the base before realizing that Luffy had once again ignored him and was hanging from the brick wall peeking over it.

"Ah! Luffy-san! What are you doing!"

"Monster... I wonder where he is?" Luffy said.

"You can't find him that easily! He's probably being kept in a secret room or something." Coby said watching as Luffy leapt off the wall and jogged off.

"Oh yeah? Well, there's somebody over there! It could be Zolo."

Surprised at the thought that the Marines would be so lax as to leave a prisoner out in the open, Manny shuffled after the two energetic boys and watched as Coby peered over with Luffy before falling back in fear, his face pale and clammy.

"A b-black bandanna and a haramaki sash! I-It's really him! That's Roronoa Zolo! He looks so... menacing!"

Manny easily hoped up onto the wall next to Luffy and took a look at the "terror of pirates". He was slouched, bruised and bloody, against a log jutting out of the ground, his arms tied to a perpendicular piece of wood nailed to it. Rope secured his stomach to the larger piece in the ground. He was a lean muscular man, probably taller than Manny and even though his head was down, he emitted a dangerous aura. Along with the black bandana and green sash, he wore a white shirt with three buttons at the the neckline, loose black pant and black boots.

"So he's Zolo, huh?" Luffy muttered. "Looks to me those ropes are pretty easy to break."

"S-stop joking!" Coby screamed. "If you free him, he could make a mess in town and even kill you!"

"Mah, we should wait, Luffy-san. A pirate hunter is still a pirate hunter even tied up." Manny said his lazy grin drooping even more than usual.

"Hey kid!" The three boys turned to look at the man who'd spoken. Zolo had lifted his head up and gave them a smirk.

"Come over here and untie me. I've been here for nine days and I can't take anymore."

"Look, he's smiling."

"He...He talked!" Coby cried out shaking.

"I'll repay you." He continued blood dripping from his face. "I'll capture someone with a big price on their head and give you all of the bounty. You can trust me. I'm a man of my word."

"NO... Don't do it Luffy-san! Don't be tricked by his words...!" Coby yelled. "If you free him, he'll kill us and escape!"

"He can't kill me." Luffy said, stating the words casually, as though they were fact. "Because I'm strong too."

"Ah!"

Manny laughed at the hopeless expression on Coby's face. Luffy sure had a lot of self-confidence.

"Mah, I believe Zolo-san. Besides, being tied up isn't fun at all."

The three boys startled when a ladder was leaned up against the wall by Manny and a little black-haired girl in pigtails climbed up. She shushed them before hoping down onto the courtyard.

"Ah! Don't do it! It's dangerous!" Coby shouted as she walked over to Zolo. Manny also looked on in concern. Even tied up people could still be dangerous.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Luffy-san, go stop her! She could be killed!" Coby was pointing and panicking but Luffy just gave him a uninterested look.

"Do it yourself."

"Do you want to die or something? Get lost!" Zolo growled out but the little girl was unmoved..

"Uhm, Ni-san, I made some rice balls for you! You haven't eaten in a long time, right?" The little girl held out two slightly lumpy and misshapen balls of rice smiling up at the intimidating man. "This is the first time I made rice balls..."

"I'm not hungry!" Zolo cut the girl off. "Go away!"

"But..."

"I don't want it! Leave me! I'll kill you if you don't go!" he snarled looking away from the girl. Manny relaxed a little at the swordsman's words. He'd said them with vehemence but there was no actual intent behind it. He was only trying to scare the girl away.

"RORONOA ZOLO!" Came a shout from the gates as they swung up. In strutted a rather ugly and thin, blonde-haired man wearing an expensive suit with a polka-dotted shirt underneath, followed by two marines.

"Don't pick on little kids or else I'll have to report you to my father." he said snidely.

"Some weirdo came." Luffy said.

"He must be someone important in the marines..." Coby sighed in relief. "Thank goodness the girl is safe now..."

Manny wasn't of the same mind. He didn't like the man's high and mighty tone. Only trouble came of people like that.

"Tch... If it isn't the Captain's bastard son..." Zolo said through grit teeth glaring at the smarmy man.

"Bastard?" The man asked angrily putting a hand to his ear as if he hadn't heard right. "Don't get cocky. My dad is a Marine Captain!"

"Well hello, little girl. These rice balls look pretty tasty." He said grabbing a rice ball form the little girl's hands as she cried out for him to stop.

"Blegh!" he spit out the bite he'd taken disgusted. "Horrible! You put too much sugar in it! You're supposed to put salt in these things!"

"But-But I thought they'd taste better if they were sweet!" The little girl cried in distress, her little eyebrows drawing down in sadness.

The blonde man chucked the rest of the rice ball and the one in the girls hand onto the ground stomping on it and grinding them into the dirt. "How could someone eat something like this? Damn it!"

"AHH! Stop it! He can't eat this anymore!"

The three boys on the wall looked on as the girl's hard work was destroyed. Manny's usual grin was dropped from his face and a vaguely sad face replaced it. The cruelty of the marines always dampened his mood. Beside him he heard Coby mutter how cruel the man was being.

"That's so cruel! I-I tried really hard to make them...!"

"Aww..don't cry! It's no wonder why I hate little brats so much." the blonde said sighing as though it was such a burden to deal with. "It's all your fault you know? Didn't you see what was written here?" He said pointing at a sigh post with the Marine's seal on it. "'Anyone who helps a prisoner will be charged with the same crime. Captain Morgan.' You know how scary my dad can be, right?" he continued leaning down into the girls tear-stained face. "You would've gotten the death penalty if you were a grown-up!"

He stood back and Manny grit his teeth at the completely unrepentant and bored expression he sported. "Oi, throw this brat out!"

The marine looked totally shocked by the order. "Huh?"

"I'm telling you to throw her outta her! Are you trying to disobey me?" he shouted grabbing the marine's collar. "I'm telling my dad!"

"Ay-aye sir!" the marine stuttered scared before walked over to the little girl. Manny watched as he whispered something to her before she was sent flying over the wall. He jumped off to catch her but Luffy was already there and they went tumbling down, the girl safely in his arms.

"Are you alright?" Coby asked quickly looking her over as she got up. "Those bastards!"

Manny just leaned back against the wall to hear the rest of the interaction.

"I didn't think you'd have this kind of endurance!"

"I'm gonna last for one whole month! You better keep your end of the bargain!"

"Hehehe! Oh I'll keep my promise, If you survive like this for one whole month, I'll keep my word and release you! Good luck!"

After he heard the gate close behind the blonde man Luffy quickly scurried up the wall to the other side and Manny grinned in amusement before hanging over the wall to watch. When he looked away from the gate Zolo looked surprised to see Luffy in front of him.

"You still haven't left yet?" he asked annoyed. "Leave now, or else Helmeppo'll go tell his dad about it."

"Oh yea?" Luffy asked unconcerned. "I'm looking for someone to join my pirate crew."

"Pirate?" Zolo scoffed. "Heh! So you just gave up on life and became a crook huh..?"

"It's my dream! There's nothing wrong with being a pirate!" Luffy said in defense.

"...hm? Don't tell me you're gonna set me free and force me to join you." he asked smirking.

"I haven't made up my mind yet, since everyone thinks you're a bad guy." Luffy said with a laugh.

"A bad guy, huh..? I'll never join you because I have something that I need to take care of!" he said. "I could survive even if you don't help me! I just need to stay alive for one month. That bastard kid promised to let me go afterwards." An arrogant smirk spread across the man's face. "I'm gonna do everything I can to stay alive and fulfill my dream!" Though the man's determination was strong Manny didn't believe he could survive a whole month without food. The human body definitely couldn't take that kind of punishment.

"Really? If I were you I think I'd starve to death in a week."

"That's why we're different. Go find someone else to join you." Luffy shrugged his shoulders and turned to walk away but Zolo called him back. "That..can you pick it up for me?" he said nodding to the crushed rice balls.

"You want to eat this? But the rice ball is all muddy." Luffy said holding the two smashed rice balls in his hand. "I know you're hungry-"

"Shut up and feed it to me! Let me eat all of it!" Zolo interrupted opening his mouth wide.

He ate the muddy rice balls with tears leaking from the corners of his eyes and coughed harshly after.

"Do you want to kill yourself?"

"Cough..tell that little girl..!" he began before coughs drowned out his next words.

"Tell her what?"

"Tell her I said it was delicious. Tell her I ate it all."

Luffy laughed his face lighting up at the surprising words. Manny, watching from the wall, also laughed heartily dropping back onto the other side.

Back in town the girl was delighted when Luffy told her what Zolo had said.

"Hmm.. Is he really that horrible person his reputation says he is...?" Coby asked curiously.

"No he isn't!" the girl protested vehemently.

"Ni-san didn't do anything wrong. It's just that the people in this town are afraid of him." The little girl said. "He got arrested because of me. He killed Helmeppo's pet wolf because Helmeppo let his wolf run around loose and everyone got scared.."

"That's why Zolo is in prison... because he hurt that guy's dog to save you?" Luffy asked. The girl nodded.

"Mah, that's childish but it makes sense. Bounty hunting isn't illegal after all." Manny said leaning up against a wall.

"The only bad guys are the Morgans!" the little girl huffed. "You'll get executed if you disobey them, so everyone is afraid of them."

The conversation was interrupted when Helmeppo's annoying voice came down the street. "Heh heh heh heh! You're not bowing your heads low enough, scum! I'll tell my dad on all of you!"!" Turning to look, the group saw Helmeppo strutting down the street, the towns people down on their knees bowing as he passed.

"Do you want to be jailed like Roronoa Zolo? I'm gonna publicly execute him in three days." Helmeppo bragged. "I'll use him as an example for all of you! I can hardly wait!"

"Three days?" Luffy asked confused. "Didn't you say you'd give him a month?"

"Who are you? How rude." Helmeppo said. "I was only joking with him! Only an idiot would believe all that!" Manny thought back to what Zolo had told them about the promise and clenched his fists as Helmeppo laughed at Zolo. The laughter abruptly cut off though as Luffy sent the man to the ground with a punch.

"Luffy-san!" Coby shouted as Manny and him grabbed Luffy to stop him from causing more damage. "Stop please! Calm down!"

"Please Luffy-san. You'll bring the Marines down on us." Manny added as he pulled the boy away with surprising strength.

"I've decided!" Luffy said. "I'm gonna ask Zolo to join my crew!"

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><p>I like criticism. It's how I get better. Please review.<p> 


	3. Marine Captain Axe Hand Morgan

Disclaimer; No I don't own anything.

This is a One Piece fanfic that may possibly turn into a yaoi fic. It follows the Manga not the anime.

Special thanks for the review to ichigo1508. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 (Marine Captain "Axe Hand Morgan")<strong>

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><p>"Th-this is bad! Who is he?" All around them townspeople panicked and gaped at Luffy.<p>

"He dared to hit the Captain's son...! Captain Morgan won't forgive him!"

"Luffy-san! Calm down! They're Marines!" Coby shouted frantically as he held onto Luffy's left arm while Manny grabbed his right still grinning. Luffy sure was an exciting person to be around.

"I don't care! A bastard is still a bastard!" Luffy said trying to shake the two off.

"Y-y-you dare to hit me? My dad hasn't even hit me once!" Helmeppo cried as he sat up clutching his bruised chin while the two marines hovered nearby. "I'M CAPTAIN MORGAN'S SON! I'LL TELL HIM ABOUT THIS!"

The townspeople cringed at the threat but Luffy just scoffed. "Don't go crying to daddy! Why don't you face me like a man?"

"Luffy-san, don't so this!"

"Mah, Luffy-san, he isn't worth the trouble." Manny said with a lazy grin eyeing the weakling with a dangerous glint in his eye.

"You'll regret hitting me!" Helmeppo said as he was being carted away by the two marines. "You'll get a death sentence for it! And my dad will be the one who executes you! Bastard!"

"It's meaningless to people like him." Luffy said finally turning away which Manny was grateful for. He didn't think if push came to shove he'd be able to really hold him back.

"Mah, he ran away..."

"Onii-chan, you were so cool! Just then I was scared to death!"

Luffy laughed heartily at the little girl's awed expression. "Really? I should have hit him a couple more times!"

"Ri-Rika! Come here!" A black-haired woman in a dress came running up to them, her voice nervous but stern. "Don't talk to strangers! You'll be executed too if you're mistaken as one of their friends!"

"Mom, he's a good person! And so is Zolo..." Rika tried to defend her new found friends but her mother would have none of it.

"Don't be silly! Did you sneak into the parade ground again?"

"N-No I didn't..!" A softer grin spread across Manny's face at the blatant lie. Children were always a soft spot for him.

"Come back into the house, quickly!"

Luffy cheerfully waved goodbye to Rika before the door closed on her sad face. It was then that Coby decided to panic. "Looks like we're gonna be in a lotta trouble! If the Captain gets mad, he might send marines after us..!"

But Luffy just brushed off the impending threat and walked off. "We'll deal with it when the time comes! I'm gonna go talk to Zolo." Manny shot Coby an amused glance, before following Luffy at a lazy pace. When he got to the courtyard where Zolo was he heard a voice float over the wall.

"I don't care what they say about me! I haven't done one thing that I regretted in the past and it will be the same for the future! I won't become a pirate!" Luffy was just about to retort but was distracted by a noise behind him. Turning, he spotted Manny as he dropped from the wall and sauntered over to the duo, his hand raised in greeting.

"Yo."

"Who the hell are you?" Zolo growled at the slim man as he stopped next to Luffy and leaned back, hooking his thumbs into his belt and gazing at Zolo through half mast eyes as though he was content to just stand there and watch the world pass him by. He could feel slight annoyance build up in him at the lazy grin he received from a face too smooth and rounded to be male but too hard to be female.

"Mah, I'm Manny. Nice to meet you Zolo-san." Manny said laughing slightly as Zolo scoffed at him, turning back to Luffy as he spoke again.

"I don't care! You're going to join me!" Luffy said causing Zolo to explode.

"Don't decide that for yourself!"

"Hey, I heard that you use katana, right?" Of course Luffy just went on and changed the subject as though he hadn't even heard the angry swordsman. Said swordsman looked taken aback by the random question and even Manny gave Luffy a quizzical look not sure where he was going with it.

"Hrm.. ya, I use a katana." Zolo muttered after a moment.

"Where is the katana?"

"That bastard kid took it. It's something that I treasure most.. other than my life!" Manny gave an amused grin as he figured out what Luffy wanted.

"Ohh? Treasure, huh? It must be something great! Okay! I'm gonna go to where the bastard kid is and get you katana back."

"What?" Zolo asked shocked.

Then Luffy gave a big grin to Zolo, folding his arms across his chest. "But if you want me to return it to you, you'll have to join me!"

"THAT'S DIRTY!" Manny laughed heartily at the expression on the swordsman's face, turning the angry attention on him.

"Hahaha. Mah, he's a pirate. What did you expect?" Manny said completely disregarding the dangerous man with a laugh before watching as Luffy practically skipped off toward the Marine building.

"Oi, wait!" Zolo shouted after the rubber man. "...Is he planning on sneaking into the base? What a fool..!"

"I don't think Luffy-san knows how to sneak." Manny said with a laugh, casually observing the tied up swordsman. Up close he could see the man had short green hair under the bandana and three dangling, gold earrings in his left ear. His face was strong and fierce and demonic eyes looked Manny over before their eyes locked and Zolo gave him a glare, getting a soft laugh in return. Before Zolo could properly chew him out though, they spotted Coby struggle his way over the wall and run nervously up to them asking about Luffy.

"What? Luffy-san is inside the base? He's too hot-headed...! Why didn't you stop him!" Coby moaned about his friend's recklessness while Manny gave the small boy a small apologetic grin.

"Sorry, sorry, Luffy-san is so carefree."

"Yea, I've noticed." Zolo said. "Who is he anyway?" But his question went unanswered as Coby went up to him and began fiddling with the knots.

"Oi! If they catch you freeing me, they'll kill you!" Zolo warned.

"You shouldn't be arrested! I can't stand to see the marines act improperly! I'm going to become a real marine! Just like Luffy-san is going to be King of the Pirates!" Coby said with determination, continuing his task.

"What? P-pirate king..? You're joking right?" Zolo choked out in surprise.

"Heheh.. I was a bit shocked when I first heard him but he's serious!" Coby said. Not seconds later, his rescue efforts were abruptly halted as a bullet caught him in the shoulder and Manny's hand shot up to absentmindedly catch the one aimed at him, his lazy grin drooping slightly.

"AAAAAA! I've been shot! Bleeding! I'm bleeding! I'm gonna die!" Coby screamed and Manny quickly went over to him to look at the wound.

"Are you alright...?" Zolo asked with a sigh looking unconcerned before looking over his shoulder at the approaching soldiers. "Run for you life, they're almost here.."

"No!" Coby said pushing Manny's probing hands away and shakily getting back up. "I've.. got to set you free as as soon as possible..!"

"There is no need to worry about me. As long as I can stand this for a month, they'll set me free. Hurry and lea-" Zolo said frantically but Coby cut him off.

"They won't set you free!"

"They plan to execute you in three days." Manny said softly looking away from the shocked swordsman.

"What! That bastard promised me that if I could survive this for a month, he'd free me.." Zolo protested in disbelief.

"He never intended to keep his promise! That's why Luffy-san punched him on your behalf, because he was toying with you!"

"Wh-what did you say?" Manny felt a tinge of pity for the swordsman. He looked as though the thought of someone going back on their word had never occurred to him.

"The Navy will never let the two of you off! Please! After I set you free, please help rescue Luffy-san!" Coby begged the swordsman. "I will not force you to become a pirate, however he's my savior! Luffy-san is very strong! As long as you two join forces, you all will definitely be able to escape this town! Definitely!"

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE! CAPTAIN MORGAN HAS ORDERED YOUR IMMEDIATE EXECUTION!" Surprised that he had missed them coming, Manny gracefully stood, stepping between the Marines and Coby and Zolo giving them a grin tinged with dangerous intent.

"Manny..." Coby muttered in worry.

"SURROUND THE BASE! DON'T LET THE GUY WITH THE STRAW HAT ESCAPE!" Manny looked past the Marines at the shout, watching warily as a huge man with an axe in the place of his right hand and an iron jaw stomped up to them. "How interesting. The three of you are planning to cause political upheaval?"

"Mah, political upheaval? Isn't that a bit extreme?" Manny asked casually, eyeing the guns nervously. They were to far away for him to get to them and he couldn't catch all the bullets if they fired at the same time. This was turning out to be a prickly predicament he found himself in. The large man, presumably Morgan, unless there were other axe-handed marine captains running around, shot Manny a glare before turning back to Zolo, dismissing the slim boy as not a threat.

"Roronoa Zolo.. Peasants and pirates may tremble at your name... but you're no match for the great one! Before my great strength, you're just garbage!" he said arrogantly and Manny stiffened as he figured out what came next.

"Ready!" Manny felt slightly put off by his inevitably early death but continued to grin hoping that Zolo would get free and the marines would soon be joining him in hell. Zolo on the other hand was panicking and staring in horror at the black-haired boy protecting them. He didn't want to die but he didn't want some stranger to give his life for him either, especially one who could so lazily grin in the face of death.

"Fire!" Manny grit his teeth waiting for pain but was shocked completely stupid when a body suddenly fell from the sky and took the bullets for him.

"You!"

"Luffy-san!"

"L-Luffy-san..." Manny watched with no little surprise when Luffy's back rippled out toward him before snapping back and sending the bullets right back to the Marines, scattering them. Luffy laughed loudly as he watched the Marines fall back in shock.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA... Bullets can't hurt me!"

"What kind of human are you?" Zolo shouted his heart racing at his almost brush with death combined with the shock of Luffy's sudden appearance. Manny just stood there, for once not sure what to do but gape slightly while Coby was passed out behind him, frothing at the mouth.

Luffy just turned to them with a confident grin. "Hehe.. I am.. the one who will become pirate king!"

"Look, which one is you treasured katana?" Luffy said holding out three swords to Zolo. "I couldn't figure it out, so I brought all three of them."

"They're all mine. I practice Santoryu- three-sword style." Zolo said calming down a bit.

Luffy nodded before turning back to the still recovering Marines. "Resisting the navy here together with me will make you an outlaw! Or maybe you want die to here?"

"Are you the offspring of the devil..." Zolo asked incredulously. "Forget it... I'm not ready to die without a fight! All right, dammit! YOU'VE GOT YOURSELF A PIRATE!"

"Really! You'll join my crew!" Luffy shouted in glee dropping the swords in the process.

"Ya! Hurry and get these ropes off of me!" Zolo said while Manny laughed at Luffy's enthusiasm his fingers still twitching from the adrenaline rush of almost dying.

"Mah, I could sure use a smoke right now." He muttered under his breath as he watched Luffy fiddle with the ropes and the marines try to organize themselves again.

"Captain, that guy's gonna take off Zolo's ropes!"

"Don't let him take them off!"

"Well, stop him you fools! If bullets can't hurt him then use your swords!"

Manny shot Luffy a nervous grin as he saw the marines approach but he was still trying to untie the knot.

"Damn! This knot is so hard to untie..."

"Oi! Hurry up!" Zolo panicked again. Down on the ground Coby began to wake and started screaming as soon as he saw the marines while Zolo and Luffy argued. Seeing no progress, Manny quickly grabbed one of Zolo's katanas, unsheathed it and sliced through the ropes around Zolo's left arm. The swordsman took it from there.

"Luffy! Manny! Zolo! Watch out!"

"All who oppose me must perish!"

As the marines descended on them Coby screamed but needn't have worried. Zolo had cut himself free and using all three swords, one in each hand and one in his mouth, blocked the incoming swords, bringing the marines to a swift halt, all before the last of the rope had hit the ground.

"What the...?"

"Mah, he has one in his mouth!" Manny laughed.

He tensed slightly though, as he saw a second, smaller group come in from behind the first. Manny was there in a second dodging to the side as the first man thrust his blade at him and grabbing it by the handle and pushing down, causing the man to go tumbling over it. With a weapon now in hand Manny swiftly dispatched the other three marines, relieving one of them of their gun as he went, a hard grin on his face. The whole exchange was so swift and fast the marines had barely seen the grinning man as he brought them down.

"Ohhh.. Cool!" Luffy gasped out laughing as the two older men dealt with the marines.

"The first one who moves dies." Zolo said glaring demonically up at them, killing intent chocking the air around him.

The marines shook, tears in their eyes but held still and Manny gave a laugh leaning his newly acquired gun on his shoulder, the sword loosely held in his other hand and touching the ground.

"Mah, Zolo-san is so scary!"

"I already told you I'd be a pirate with you." Zolo began catching Luffy's attention. "I've fought the Marines, so either way I'll be an outlaw. But... I still have my own goals! I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman! I no longer care if my name is clean or not... Bad guy, good guy, it no longer matters! As long as my name is known worldwide! If you do something that ends up in the way of my goal, I will have you commit hara kiri!"

"Good! To be the world's number one swordsman! Since you wanna be the pirate king's crew member, if you can't even accomplish something that small, then I would be very embarrassed as well!" Luffy said grinning causing Zolo to also grin.

"Heh! Well said!"

"What are you guys standing there for? Hack those brigands into mincemeat!" Morgan demanded, startling the marines out of their stupor.

"Zolo, duck!" Luffy pulled back his leg - "Gum-Gum Whip!" - and sent it out and around, sending the Marines flying.

"Wow!" Koby cried in awe. "He's incredible!"

"What are you..?" Zolo asked, again stunned by the abilities of the younger boy.

"I'm a Rubber man!"

"Ru-rubber man!"

"Captain! We can't kill those three!"

"They're too strong..." The marines cried out in fear. Morgan bowed his head and a shadow darkened his face.

"This is an order... Whoever just said that... Get a gun and kill yourself!" he said to the beaten men who stared in shock. "I don't need useless soldiers! That's an order!" They shook in fear but nonetheless pulled out their guns and put them to their heads, cocking back the trigger.

"What the hell do these dumb Marines think they're doing...?" Zolo asked getting ready to intervene, but Luffy was already running past him.

"I am the Marine's worst enemy! If you guys have the guts, then execute me!" He yelled as he pulled his fist back and slammed it into Morgan's axe. The marines pulled their guns away, unsure what to do, and Zolo and Manny watched on, letting the rubber man deal with the arrogant marine Captain.

"Luffy-san..! Defeat these Marines!" Coby begged.

"People like you, without status, have no right to oppose me!" Morgan said a disgusted sneer on his face. "I am Marine Captain Axe-hand Morgan!"

Completely unfazed Luffy replied without a beat. "My name is Luffy! Nice to meet you!"

"Go to hell!" Enraged Morgan swiped his axe hand at Luffy who hopped over it holding his hat in place. The swing was so powerful it left an echo in it's wake that continued on through the steel fence and brick wall to Morgan's right, effectively cutting it in half.

"Mah, he broke the fence in half! How scary!" Manny commented lazily, his demeanor not suited to his words.

"Aren't you afraid!" Coby shouted at his unconcerned friend, who just laughed him off. Still in the air, Luffy put his feet together and shoved them into Morgan's face, flipping backwards and landing safely back on the ground, while Morgan fell back. He quickly got back up and the two rushed each other, Morgan swinging his axe down onto Luffy yelling "You little bastard! Go to hell!"

Luffy spun out of the way his foot lashing out against Morgan's head causing his back to meet the ground again. Walking over the the downed marine, Luffy grabbed Morgan's shirt.

"Some great Marine you are.." He said pulling his fist back. "Destroyed Coby's dreams and goal..."

Luffy heard someone shout to wait, but his fist still descended on the man's iron jaw.

"You idiot! I told you to wait!" Manny spun around to find Helmeppo holding Coby at gunpoint. "If you want this guy to survive, then don't move! If anyone moves, I'll shoot!"

"Helmeppo-sama!" The marines shouted in surprise.

Manny's grin drooped again as he wondered what he should do. He could probably shoot the bastard from where he was but a twitchy trigger finger could still end Coby's life. Besides, he was interested in seeing what Luffy would do.

"Luffy! I don't wanna be in your way...I'm not afraid of death!" Coby shouted, his face pale and damp but determined.

"You're a good guy Koby!" Luffy replied with another of his carefree grins pulling his fist back. "You stupid son-of-the-captain, Coby's not afraid of death!"

"Hey! You idiot, I told you not to move, or I'm gonna shoot!" Helmeppo panicked.

"Go ahead and shoot!" At Coby's shout Manny turned back to Luffy to see the Marine Captain behind him, axe-hand raised. "Luffy! Behind you!"

"I am the great Marine Captain!" Manny was beginning to wonder if the man had a broken record somewhere in that iron jaw of his.

"Gomu-Gomu Pistol!" Luffy shouted while Helmeppo looked as though he would wet himself, calling for his father to hurry, only for a fist to send him flying back, unconscious.

"Nice!" Unconcerned Luffy didn't pay Captain Morgan any mind and he needn't of. A shot rang out in the air and Morgan fell back as Zolo appeared behind him.

"Zolo!"

"Leave it to me! Captain!" Zolo said, the sword not hampering his words any. Luffy however, didn't turn away from the black-haired boy in front of him. Manny had the gun in his hand extended toward them, smoke coming from the barrel. Startled, Zolo looked down at Morgan's body and saw a round, bleeding hole in the man's chest just right of where his heart would be.

"Mah, guess I needn't of wasted the bullet. Sorry, sorry."

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><p>I like criticism. It's how I get better. Please review.<p> 


	4. Another Crew Mate!

Disclaimer; No I don't own anything.

This is a One Piece fanfic that may possibly turn into a yaoi fic. It follows the Manga not the anime.

Special thanks for the review to ichigo1508 and noface. :)

Noface: Don't think close-mouthed grin and closed eyes, think lopsided, teeth slightly showing grin. Really not much for him to do quite yet considering that the story has only just begun. I have a lot planned though. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 (Another Crew Mate!)<strong>

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><p>Luffy stared at Manny with an expression he couldn't quite place. He hadn't meant to get involved with the rubberman's fight but his arm had reacted by itself. Grinning he waited for Luffy to say something.<p>

"The Captain lost!"

"Captain Morgan has been defeated!"

The three men turned to the marines still standing and waited tensely, Zolo placing a hand on his sheathed swords. "If you still want to arrest us, come and get us!" he said glaring.

The marines looked at each other for a moment before they flung their weapons carelessly into the air and began hopping around and cheering, hugging each other.

"We're free!"

"We're out of Morgan's control!"

"Long live the marines!"

Luffy looked at them strangely. "What's going on? They're happy that Morgan was defeated!"

"Everyone...hated Morgan!" Coby shouted, relieved.

As he walked over to the trio, Manny saw Zolo sway on his feet. He dropped the sword he'd been holding to catch the taller man as he fell, grunting at the unexpected weight. "Ah, Zolo-san..."

"Zolo?" Luffy asked in concern.

"Mah, he must be exhausted." Manny commented as he shifted the man onto his back and the small group made a quick escape while the marines were still celebrating.

"I'm stuffed! Not eating for nine days was worse than I thought!" Zolo shouted happily rubbing his belly as he leaned back in his chair. He had pulled off his bandana and tied it to his left bicep. It was where he usually wore it when he wasn't fighting. After the townspeople heard about what happened, Rika dragged the four of them to her mother's restaurant, where they had been given all they could eat, the townspeople staring through the windows at their saviors. Coby's arm had even been patched up by one of the doctors.

"See, you'd never have survived the whole month!" Luffy said as he continued to shovel food into his mouth. Zolo gave the younger boy an incredulous look.

"You're so scrawny, how come you can still eat more than me!" he said eyeing the empty plates piling onto the table. Manny laughed as he leaned back into his chair. His half full plate quickly being scooped up by Luffy and shoveled into the vacuum that is the boy's mouth.

"Sorry... even I ate quite a lot..." Coby apologized to Rika's mother, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Not as much as Luffy-san and Zolo-san." Manny said grinning and nursing a bottle of whiskey the woman had been all too happy to part with. It wasn't a cigarette but it'd do.

Rika's mother just laughed off the pink-haired boy's concerns. "Don't worry! Keep eating! It's the least I can do after you saved our town!" she said as she cleared away some of the plates on the table.

"So, what's next?" Zolo asked curious looking to the two black-haired men at the table.

"Well, first..." Luffy said fixing determined eyes onto the lazily grinning man across from him. "I'm gonna ask Manny to join my crew!"

A moment of silence passed before Manny burst out laughing in front of his confused audience. "Hahaha, why would you need me, Luffy-san?" he asked as his laughter tapered off. Luffy just gave the man a large grin.

"Come'n Manny, you're already a pirate so you have more experience than either of us and you can still look for your brother while you're with us." Luffy said but his thoughts were back on Alvida's island when Manny had given Coby his little speech. For a brief moment, Manny's face had been replaced by Shanks'.

Luffy's argument, if it could be called that, made good points. "The Grandline, eh?" Luffy nodded enthusiastically. Manny didn't really know where to go from here so he gave Luffy a lazy grin. "Mah, why not?" Luffy jumped into the air knocking his chair back and cheered, earning himself another small laugh from the other black-haired boy.

Zolo hummed in the back of his throat but was leery of letting a man who hid so much behind that lazy grin of his go sailing with them.

"Your all crazy!" Coby exclaimed. "There are only three of you! If you go there, you'll just be sailing to your deaths! The most bloodthirsty pirates in the world gather there!"

"Well, I guess if we're after 'One Piece'. It won't hurt to head in that direction!" Zolo said smirking until Coby got into his face.

"Zolo-san! You agree with him?" he shouted before turning pleading eyes onto Manny.

"Mah, whatever the Captain wishes." he said lazily taking another swig of whisky.

"Manny!"

"What's it to you? It's not like you're coming with us."

"No, but I'm worried about! Is that so wrong! Can't I worry about my friends!" Coby shouted slamming his hands on the table, taking Zolo by surprise. "Luffy-san, we haven't known each other for very long, but... we're friends aren't we?"

"Yup! We're going our separate ways but we'll always be friends!" Luffy said happily a grin stretching across his face. Momentarily distracted, Coby looked delighted at Luffy's proclamation before looking down.

"I never had friends growing up." He began sadly. "No one would ever stand up for me. Even I wouldn't stick up for me! But the three of you taught me to fight for what I believe in!"

"That's why I'm going to the grandline."

"Mah, makes sense to me."

"Umm... that's true..." Coby said rubbing the back of his head before he seemed to remember he was supposed to be against it. "No! No! I'm trying to convince you that it's too reckless!"

"What about your plans?" Zolo said tapping the boy on the forehead with the hilt of his sword.

"Huh?"

"Mah, even though you were just doing chores on a pirate ship Coby-san, you're still a pirate. You shouldn't underestimate the marine's ability to gather information." Manny said his lips turning down into a sad smile. "If they find out about your past, they won't let you enlist!"

"Excuse me..." someone interrupted as they came into the house. Low and behold... It was the Marines. "You gentlemen are pirates, correct?"

"That's right. I even have a crew now! Which makes me a genuine pirate captain!"

"Um... You saved our town and base. For that we are grateful, but we're still marines and we can't shelter pirates." He said reluctantly. "I'm sorry but I have to ask you to leave. But to show our gratitude, we won't report you to the government." The news got the townspeople in an uproar. They had only just been saved by these people and now the marines were trying to kick their heroes out.

"Hey! Marines! What kind of Bullshit are you saying?"

"Are you kidding me? Or have you all gone nuts?"

"They're your saviors too!"

Luffy just nodded standing up. "Hmm, well then... let's go! Thanks for the food, ma'am." Zolo and Manny gave each other a look before standing to follow, Manny's lazy grin in place again.

"Luffy-san..." Coby muttered as the three made their way past him.

"Aren't you with their group?" The Marine questioned Coby when he saw that he hadn't moved to follow.

"Eh! I... I..." Coby began before stealing him self. "I'm not... not.. I'm not one of them!" Luffy smirked as the three men headed out the door, Manny a little reluctantly.

"Please hold on..." The Marine called to them. "Is he telling the truth?"

Luffy seemed to contemplate something before speaking. "I know all about his past..."

"Luffy-san...?" Coby asked nervously.

"I can't remember where but he used to be with this fat, female pirate. I think her name was Alvida." Zolo glanced over at Manny in confusion but was only met with a lazy but reassuring grin.

"Stop... Don't say anymore..." Coby cried._ 'If they know I worked on a pirate ship before... then they won't let me join the marines!'_

"It was a fat and ugly female pirate, this guy spent two years-"

"SHUT UP!" Coby shouted punching Luffy in the face and knocking the boy's straw hat from his head. The townspeople and Marines looked on in surprise but Zolo, finally catching on, just hmphed, while Manny leaned back still grinning and holding back a laugh.

"Why you-!" Luffy shouted and began punching Coby back, again and again.

"Both of you stop it! I won't allow this town to get into any more fights!" The marine shouted in panic and was relieved when the other black-haired boy in their group grabbed Luffy by the back of his shirt, effectively stopping him.

"Mah, mah! Luffy-san, you went overboard." Coby lay on the floor a little more bruised than before.

"It's clear that you're not friends!" Cried the Marine. "Please leave this town immediately!" The three men left, leaving Coby to take the opening they had given him.

'He..did it for me.. He wanted to make me mad.. make me hit him..' Coby thought realizing what Luffy had been doing. 'Even in the very end, I still needed his help!'

Outside Luffy walked away from the restaurant and the townspeople with a smile on his face. Zolo though couldn't help but taunt the marines. "Come on! Didn't you want to arrest me?" he asked as he slouched past his hands in his pockets with Manny right behind him laughing at the man's antics.

Down at the docks, the newly formed pirate crew stood in front of a little ship. "Mah, Luffy-san is such a bad actor!" Manny said laughing as he untied the ship. "But, this way, even though he was a pirate before, it won't be such a big deal."

"It's all up to Coby, now. He'll get in somehow!" Luffy said happily.

"Well, it's a good time to be leaving. Everybody hates us... that's the way pirates should leave a town." Zolo said as they pushed off.

"Hahah! I guess that's true!"

"Lu-Lu-Luffy-san!" Manny looked back at the dock in surprise to find Coby there, panting. "Thank you very much, Cap'n Luffy! I will never forget you for the rest of my life!" he said straightening into a salute.

"This is a new one. I've never seen a marine saluting pirates," Zolo commented, amused.

"Hehe...Coby! We'll meet again someday!" Luffy shouted back waving his hands.

"Ten-shun!" The trio was even more surprised when the rest of the marines stood behind Coby and gave them salutes. The sight was enough to cause Manny to double over and heave with hearty laughter and even cause Zolo to begin snickering. Never in his five years as a pirate had he ever even heard of such a thing happening. 'Luffy-san sure is an exciting person to be around' he couldn't help but think again as the town disappeared into the distance.

"Yahoooo! We're off! Grand Line! Here we come!"

"Ugh.. I'm starving..." The small boat drifted across the sea with no clear destination in mind. It was making good speed, but without a map or compass, who knew if they were traveling to or away from land. To make matters worse, in all the commotion to leave the Marine base, they had forgotten to stock up on supplies. With no supplies, no food, and no water, Manny hoped they found an island soon.

"Don't you think it's strange that you can't navigate?" Zolo asked his "Captain" in annoyance. Only his first day as a pirate and already he was lost at sea.

"No, drifting has worked pretty well for me. What about you? You're supposed to be the holy terror of the seas!"

"I don't recall ever calling myself that." Zolo retorted plopping his head into his hand while his elbow rested against the side of the boat. "I followed a pirate I was after out to sea, but I couldn't find my way back to my village. So I made the best of things. I went after pirates that were in the are. I had to earn money somehow..."

"Ah, so you got lost?" Manny asked from his lounging position at the back of the ship. When he had found out about their lack of supplies and the navigational abitliies of the rest of his crew he'd gone silent trying to figure out wether to cry or burst out laughing. The latter won. Currently, he was steering the ship in a general western direction, using the sun as a guide, and hoped they hit land soon.

"Shut up!" Zolo yelled comically.

"Mah.. never heard of pirates who don't know how to navigate before! We need to find a navigator soon." Manny said as he adjusted the rudder again, lazily watching the sea.

"And we need a cook, and a musician, and-"

"IDIOT! THOSE CAN WAIT!"

The two men flopped backwards, lying on the deck, their stomachs growling loud enough for Manny to hear.

"Soooo hungry..." Manny looked away from the pair and tried to smother his laughs into his arm.

"What about you Manny, aren't you hungry?" Luffy asked turning to look at the amused man. Manny's grin grew a little strained.

"I can survive off of very small amounts of food for long periods of time, so I'm not really that hungry yet." Luffy and Zolo had noticed the strain but didn't comment on it, just chalking it up as one of the many things the blue-eyed man was hiding.

"Hey! My hat!" Luffy cried as a strong gust of wind blew his hat off his head. "No! That hat's important to me!" Fortunately, Zolo caught it before it fell into the water. Luffy plopped it back onto his head the moment he got it back. Manny turned to stare back out at the sea.

"You mentioned you were looking for your brother." When Manny turned to him, Zolo continued. "Why are you looking for him?" Zolo was curious about the other man. Luffy was straightforward and Zolo understood him to an extent but Manny made him nervous. The moments when Manny's lazy grin had faltered and given the green-haired swordsman a look of what lay underneath had made his spine chill. Luffy too watched his more mysterious companion in interest.

Manny gazed at them for a moment. "He's the only family I have left." The words were spoken in a wistful voice. Zolo knew there was more to it than that and scowled fiercely at the other man.

"Fine, don't tell us." He muttered earning himself an amused smile. The idiot could at least try to look offended. "Why's that old hat so important to you anyway?" he asked his captain, turning away from Manny.

Luffy raised a hand to his hat. "It belonged to someone that I made a promise to."

Zolo looked thoughtful. He recognized that story. "Yes, we should all keep our promises." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Manny nod his head in silent agreement.

Zolo looked up at the sky, and noticed something. "Oh! A bird!"

"Looks pretty tasty..." Luffy said. "Let's eat it!"

"How?" Zolo asked raising an eyebrow at the excited boy.

"Leave it to me! I'll catch it!" He stretched his hands to grip the top of the mast and let his body relax, causing him to go sailing upward with a yell - "Gomu-Gomu Rocket!"

"Can't believe he thought of that..." Zolo said with a sweat drop that only got bigger when he saw Luffy's head land in the birds beak. "Huh?"

"AHHHHH! HELP!"

"YOU IDIOT! What the heck are you doing! Jeeez!" Zolo said his face morphed into a comical look of anger. Manny quickly stood taking aim with the gun he'd kept from his fight with the Marines but at the same time Zolo grabbed the oars and began madly rowing after the bird. Manny lost his balance at the sudden jerk and he fell back between Zolo's legs, the shot missing and almost hitting Luffy.

"Manny!" Rubbing his head sheepishly, he decided that it would probably wouldn't be worth it to try again. Manny squirmed as he tried to get out of Zolo's personal space. Behind him, Zolo's face was tinged pink. The black-haired boy was rubbing against a very sensitive part of his anatomy.

"Why didn't you do that before Luffy shot off and got stuck!" Zolo asked angrily as he watched the other boy crawl back to his spot.

"Sorry Zolo-san, but I thought the bird could lead us back to land and before I could say anything, Luffy-san was already up there." Manny yelled slightly over the wind giving the glaring swordsman an apologetic grin.

"Ahoy! Wait!"

"Huh?"

"Ah? Shipwreck survivors?" Manny asked.

"I can't stop! Just grab on and climb in!" Zolo shouted as he continued to row right at them. The three men panicked as the speeding boat came closer but quickly grabbed on as it past, awkwardly tumbling in.

"Haha! You made it!" Manny cheered keeping an eye on Luffy.

"Were you trying to run us over?" They shouted as they slumped against the side of the ship. "Whew.. thank god!"

"What kind of people are you!" One of them yelled before one of men whipped out a knife. "Hey! Stop the ship! We're pirates of Buggy the Clown!"

"What!" Zolo asked menacingly his face growing dark.

"Mah, Zolo-san, keep rowing." Manny said as he got up in front of Zolo, slipping the gun into the back of his jeans, easily balancing on the speeding boat.

The Buggy pirates looked up at the slim man and blanched at the almost maniacal grin that spread across the man's face. The leader lunged for his neck and Manny kicked the man in his knee distracting him with the pain while at the same time he brought his arm up against the inside of the other's and twisted the man's arm under his armpit holding it in place and making him drop the knife. Then he slammed his forearm into the man's face and struck him once in the chest with the edge of his flat hand, finishing the move off with a hit to the back of his neck. The man crumpled to the deck.

The next one's hand he grabbed with his right and using his right leg flipped the man onto the bench behind him. The other man's arm he grabbed by the wrist and elbow, twisting it behind him and smacking him in the back of the head with his elbow. Manny was about to hit him again, but the second man had recovered and moved up behind him with the knife. He went to slash Manny across the back... but was stopped cold by a hit to the back of the head.

Manny looked behind him at the noise, still holding the other man in the painful grip, to see Zolo standing there with a sheathed sword in hand. "Impressive." he commented with a slight smirk.

Manny gave a playful grin in return.

Turning his attention to the "pirates", Zolo asked, "Throw 'em overboard?"

Manny looked at the man in his grip and gave a frightening grin. "Let's not."

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><p>I like criticism. It's how I get better. Please review.<p> 


	5. Buggy The Clown!

Disclaimer; No I don't own anything.

This is a One Piece fanfic that may possibly turn into a yaoi fic.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 (Buggy The Clown)<strong>

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><p>In a small ship speeding across the sea sat five men. Of those five, three sat at the rower's bench, their arms furiously moving the oars back and forth. "We're very sorry Mr. Pirate Hunter Zolo, sir! We apologize for attacking your friend! We didn't realize who you were!"<p>

Zolo gave them an irritated look while Manny kept his eyes on the sky, trying to spot Luffy. "You jokers made me lose my friend! Put some back into it! If I don't find my friend, you three are in for it!"

"Ano, why were the three of you drifting in the middle of the ocean, anyway?"

"I'll tell you how! Thanks for reminding us!"

"That girl!"

"It was all her fault!"

"She was a real looker though!" They roared angrily.

"The three of us just finished raiding a merchant ship..." They went on to explain how they found a boat floating in the ocean with a half-dead girl inside with orange hair. She told them they could have her treasure in exchange for food and water, but when they boarded the boat to take a look, the girl took off in theirs. She commented on a squall approaching and before they knew it, the tiny ship, crushed, sunk into the ocean and they were stranded.

"Amazing. She used the weather to her own advantage. She must really know the seas." Zolo commented. "She'd make a great navigator."

"_We_ think she'll make a great corpse!" They said.

"What'll we do about the treasure we lost?"

"If we go back empty-handed, Buggy-sama will..."

"Who's this Buggy guy anyway?" Zolo asked.

"Only the most ferocious pirate in these parts! Haven't you ever heard of Buggy the Clown? He ate the fruit of the Devil!"

"Ate a devil fruit...?" Zolo exclaimed exchanging a glance with Manny. The other boy only shrugged. He'd heard of Buggy, but he hadn't been all that interested so hadn't bothered to learn what the man's abilities were. He'd been rather preoccupied with finding leads on his brother at the time.

With the three men rowing, and a little encouragement from Zolo, it didn't take long for the boat to reach it's destination. "This is it, Master Zolo, Master Manny," one of Buggy's pirates said respectfully. They didn't want to get beat up again.

"It looks like a ghost town." Zolo said looking around. "Where is everyone?"

"Well you see, sir... We've taken over the town." The man answered sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Ano, maybe Buggy-san knows where Luffy-san is." Manny said as he hoped out of the boat behind Zolo.

He nodded turning to the three Buggy pirates. "C'mon. Take us to your Captain."

"They're all over at the tavern in the middle of town. You can't miss it. They'll probably be making a lotta noise." The pirate said pointing into town.

Zolo shot the three a suspicious glare, making them flinch.

"We're telling the truth!" They shouted in fear.

"Mah, maybe we should make them come. Just in case." Manny commented shoving his hands into his pockets, leaving the thumbs out.

The pirates immediately squawked in horror. "We can't go! If we go back to Buggy empty-handed, he'll kill us!"

"We're gonna wait right here for that thief to come back!" Zolo and Manny looked at each other and shrugged.

"Don't go causing trouble." Manny called over his shoulder with a dangerous grin as they walked away. Paling, the pirates vigorously nodded. After a few minutes of walking around, Manny discovered something that had him shaking in suppressed laughter; Zolo had absolutely no sense of direction. They were officially lost.

Another thing was that the Buggy pirates had told the truth. The town was completely empty. Not a single soul was seen during their little walk. Manny felt a shiver run up his spine and his grin drooped a little. A sign of things to come.

"Mah, we're lost." Manny commented.

Zolo growled at him. "We're not lost!" Ignoring the swordsman he easily scaled up a building using the window ledges, gutter and his strength and flexibility. Zolo looked on in confusion.

"Oi! What are you doing?"

"Maybe I can see the tavern from the top." Manny shouted down as he stood on the roof, his hand shielding his eyes, looking around him. He noticed movement in the distance.

"BOOM!"

The explosion shook the whole town. Manny, perched precariously on the ledge, lost his balance and with a gasp fell from the roof. He closed his eyes, expecting to meet the hard ground.

Warm, muscular arms caught him instead. His heart hammering in his chest, he opened his eyes to find Zolo's own staring back. He twitched at the unexpected contact with another person but controlled himself.

"My hero!" he said his grin catching up to him. His cheek earned him a glare but Zolo still set him down gently.

"You okay?"

"Ah, thank you Zolo-san." Manny said rubbing his head sheepishly. In the distance a stream of smoke was trailing up into the sky. Manny vaguely recalled that Buggy was a fan of cannons and concluded that this one was probably his. "That must have come from the tavern."

"Sounds like it came from over there." Zolo said as he ran off, Manny following. Soon they reached a large building, a "Tavern" sign nailed above the door. It sounded like there was a commotion up on the roof.

"Come'n" Zolo said. He began climbing up the building and Manny followed. At the top, the two men looked over the ledge at a group of rowdy pirates, led by Buggy the Clown. And there was no doubt as to how the man came to have the name. With his blue hair and big red nose along with the face paint and clown shoes, the name fit. Across from the group sat Luffy... inside a large steel cage... with a cannon pointing right at him.

'_Mah...' _Manny thought sweat-dropping. Luffy sure got into some bizarre situations.

Next to the cannon stood a girl, looking very lost. She was young, about Manny's age and Luffy's height, with orange hair curling out slightly and just above her shoulders. She had large brown eyes and was wearing a short-sleeve white shirt which had two blue stripes at the neckline and around the ends of each sleeve, with three of alternating width around her torso. The long shirt ended over her hips and was slightly covering a very short brown skirt with two rings of white on the each side. Red ankle boots finished the outfit off. Overall, she didn't look like she belonged with the Buggy pirates.

The others were trying to get her to light the fuse on the cannon, but she was hesitating. Manny didn't think the girl had ever killed anyone in her life. Impatience setting in, one of the pirates came up and lit the fuse for her. The two men tensed, ready to jump in and rescue Luffy, but in a flash, the girl had assembled some sort of hidden staff and swung at the pirate, knocking him face first into the ground. She looked just as surprised as everyone else at what she had done.

"NAMI YOU TRAITOR! AND AFTER I WELCOMED YOU INTO MY CREW!" Buggy yelled.

"Ah, are you going to save me after all?" Luffy asked.

"Don't be stupid! I got carried away... I just don't want to become a low-down murderer like all of you! YOU PIRATES TOOK SOMEONE DEAR TO ME! I'LL NEVER BECOME WHAT I HATE!"

'_If she hates pirates, what is she doing working for one?'_ Manny thought.

"Oh... so that's why you hate pirates," Luffy muttered. Then he noticed something important. "ACK! The fuse is lit! I'm gonna die!" He began furiously chomping on the bars.

"Little girl, you tried to make a fool of me! For that, you die!" Four of Buggy's men charged her, knives in hand.

"The fuse is still lit..." And what a short fuse it was.

"Dammit! Someone put out that fuse!" Luffy said.

When the men got closer to the girl, she swung her staff at them, but they all dodged it.

"I can't die this way!" Luffy shouted as he watched the fuse get shorter.

Thinking quickly, Nami dropped her staff and her hands shot out to the cannon, grabbing the lit fuse, effectively extinguishing it.

"Hey! Look out! Behind you!"

Manny felt Zolo move beside him. The four men moved in for the kill... and met two of Zolo's sheathed swords head on, knocking themselves out.

"How many pirates does it take to handle one girl?" He asked.

"Zolo! Manny!" Luffy shouted in relief. Nami looked behind her in surprise. She hadn't expected anyone to show up. Manny lazily jumped over the ledge and walked over to her.

"Ano, are you hurt, Nami-san?" he asked as he knelt down next to the girl.

"No, I'm alright." she replied shakily, warily watching the man. Manny figured she knew Luffy was a pirate, so as his crew, they probably wouldn't be making fast friends with this one.

"Phew! I'm glad you two found me! Now get me outta here!"

"You! Is this your idea of fun...!," Zolo scolded, leaning one of his swords against his shoulder. "You get caught by a bird and get carried away, and now when we finally find you, you're goofing off in a cage! Stupid!"

"Uwah... Zolo-san is angry." Manny said laughing. Zolo turned his fearsome glare onto the other boy instead.

"Be serious!"

"Hey, that guy.. Z-Zolo? Did he just say his name was Zolo?" One of the men asked. "The "Pirate Hunter" Zolo! Why the hell is he talking with a thief!"

"The crew mate he was talking about... that was Zolo, the Pirate Hunter? What's going on here?" Nami was as confused as the other pirates. Manny just gave her a grin. Zolo would probably get that reaction a lot. An infamous pirate hunter, now a pirate.

"So you're Roronoa Zolo, eh?" Buggy asked. "You must have come to capture me!"

"I gave up pirate hunting. I have no interest in you."

"Well, I'm interested in you." Buggy drew out five knives, holding four in between the fingers of one hand and twirling another in his other hand. "Killing you will be a nice feather in my cap."

"Back off, before I pluck all your feathers." Zolo growled.

"Get'im, Cap'n Buggy! Cut'im to pieces!" His crew cheered.

"Give me all you've got, Pirate Hunter, 'cause I'm about to get a look at your blood!" he yelled charging at Zolo.

"You asked for it!" Zolo replied, drawing his swords. In one swift move, Zolo sliced off an arm, leg, and his entire midsection completely off. It was over.

"Huh? That was too easy!" Luffy said for once looking as confused as Manny felt. Because it _was_ too easy. Buggy hadn't even bothered to move away from Zolo's swords. If he didn't know better, he'd say the clown had practically thrown himself at the swords.

"No way..." Nami looked torn between horror, confusion and shock.

"Hmph! That was almost disappointing..." Zolo said.

"Hehe." And now the crew was giggling after seeing their leader sliced to bits.

'_Something is definitely wrong'_ Manny thought.

"Hey Zolo! Get me outta here!" Luffy said.

"Right..."

'_What's going on with these pirates? Their leader's dead but now they're laughing!' _Nami thought looking more perplexed by the second.

"We can't open this without a key. These bars are too thick for me to cut through."

"Oh..." Manny sweat-dropped at Luffy's uncaring manner. Maybe he'd been around Coby too long. He had gotten used to the pink-haired boy's panic attacks.

By now Buggy's crew were outright laughing.

"Very funny... Now hand over the keys to this cage before I get cranky." Zolo glared at the crew to no effect. The sensation that something was off kept clawing at Manny's gut driving him to distraction. Something was very wrong.

"Those guys are kinda creepy." Luffy mumbled. A tingling at the base of his spine was the only warning Manny had.

"Zolo!" He tried to warn the swordsman.

"Ugh!" A knife had pierced Zolo in his torso. Ice rushed through Manny at the sight and he caught the swordsman as he fell. The strangest part was the disembodied hand that held the knife.

"Zolo!"

"What the-! That hand-!" Nami shouted. Buggy's crew only laughed harder. Manny quickly yanked the knife from Zolo's torso. He should have been more gentle but he was afraid the hand might make the knife do even more damage if he wasn't fast about it.

"What's going on...! The hand... It's floating!" Zolo said. He pushed Manny away and drew his sword again. His other hand held his gushing side.

"The Chop-Chop fruit...!" Buggy said. Manny spun around and saw the separated parts of Buggy come back together again as though Zolo hadn't just sliced the bastard into bits. "That's the Devil Fruit that I ate! You can slice and dice me, but you can't kill me! I'm a Chop-Chop man!"

"His body is back together again! I thought the stories about the devil fruit were just myths!" Nami said. Her day just kept getting stranger.

"Chop-Chop man! That guy's a freak!" Luffy said looking as though he genuinely meant it. Manny had to chuckle at that. Beside Manny, Zolo panted and grit his teeth against the pain. Their situation wasn't looking very good anymore.

"Roronoa Zolo! You never had a chance! Looks like I missed your vitals.. but you still took a serious wound!" Buggy said, smug.

'_I came to save Luffy. Now I'm the one who needs saving. I heard that this clown had eaten Devil-tree fruit... I should have been prepared...' _Zolo thought as he gripped his bleeding side.

"Captain Buggy, You're the greatest! Finish him! Finish him!" The crew cheered and danced behind Buggy encouraging the bloodshed.

'_Not good the tables have turned... If I don't do something, those two will end up dead- and so will I!' _Nami thought. She wasn't ready to die here. She still had things to do.

"Stabbing someone in the back.. That's fighting dirty! You got that, big nose!" Luffy yelled. Not even a day of having a crew mate and already he'd been hurt. Luffy was angry.

Buggy's crew flung themselves back at Luffy's insult shocked. Clearly they had never met a captive quit as 'spirited' as Luffy. Buggy on the other hand snapped.

"You fool! That's the one thing you never-" Nami yelled at Luffy.

"You dare to call me 'Big Nose'!" Buggy said. His hand detached and flew at Luffy like a torpedo, the knife glinting dangerously in the sunlight. Manny ran at the hand to catch it. He missed. The knife flew into Luffy's cage and hit his face head on.

"Luffy!" Zolo yelled.

Luffy lifted his head a moment later and Manny sighed in relief. Luffy had caught the knife with his teeth. He grinned biting down hard and the knife broke in half.

"I swear... I'm gonna clobber you!" Luffy promised the fuming clown.

"Hehe... Clobber me? Hahahaha! Clobber me! Don't make me laugh! You four are about to die!" Buggy said. He laughed and continued to laugh. The thought that a scrawny kid like Luffy stuck in a cage could do anything to hurt him made him laugh.

"It's hopeless. We're dead.." Nami said.

"No way! I'm not gonna die!" Luffy yelled with no doubt in his voice. Manny wondered if Luffy ever entertained the thought of mortality but then decided Luffy didn't bother with such complex ideas.

"And just _how_ do you intend to clobber me _now_? Ain't that a laugh, boys?" Buggy said his arms spread out as he laughed with his crew.

"Zolo! Manny! Run!"

"What!" Zolo said.

"Eh?" Manny said but when he looked at Luffy he understood.

"Hey! Your friend came to rescue you, but you're telling him to run away! How about you!" Nami said.

"OK." Zolo said with a smirk.

'_He's deserting us! Urgh! That's why I hate pirates! Now I have to come up with an escape plan!' _Nami panicked in the privacy of her mind.

"Roronoa Zolo! You won't get away that easily! Chop-Chop Cannon!" Buggy said shooting both hands out at Zolo. Zolo easily batted both away with his swords and ran back toward Luffy's cage.

"Ah hahahaha! Zolo's running away! He won't escape Cap'n Buggy!" The crew were wrong though and they knew it when they heard iron scrape against iron.

Manny lifted the barrel of the cannon, his back to the Buggy crew. The weight strained his back and shoulder muscles but once he got the barrel half way gravity gave him a hand.

"AHHHH! THE BIG CANNON'S POINTED AT US!" The crew scattered in panic, tears in their eyes, but there were little places to hide on a rooftop.

"YAAAAH! AND IT'S LOADED WITH ONE OF MY BUGGY BALLS!" Buggy screeched. His face awash with horror.

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered.

Manny took out a match from his pocket and struck it against the back of the cannon. He may not have any cigarettes but somehow this was much more satisfying to light. "Mah, fire in the hole." He said before lighting the fuse. The previous lighting left it short enough that it didn't take but a few seconds to burn through.

"NO! LOOK OUT!" Buggy screamed.

"**BOOM!"**

The whole roof shook as the Buggy ball ripped through it's maker and his crew and just about anything in their general direction. Smoke billowed out covering the roof.

Manny stumbled away from the cannon ears ringing a little. "Uwah... That was pretty destructive." he said. Zolo gave him a dry look before turning to the odd girl out.

"Now's your chance!" Zolo told Nami. "Who _are_ you, anyway?"

"I'm.. a thief." she said still rattled from the explosion.

"Actually.. she's our new navigator!" Luffy's grin took up his whole face as he claimed another crew member.

"What are you talking about! Are you crazy? And shouldn't you be trying to get out of that cage?" Nami yelled her face comically fierce as she scolded Luffy.

"Hey, that's a good idea... I'll do that." Luffy said unconcerned. Nami huffed.

"No problem.. You just stay in the cage." Zolo said. The smirk he sported, complete with blood running down his chin, made Manny weary of the man's next actions.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Buggy shouted into the smoke coughing.

"Zolo, don't do this! Your guts'll squirt out!" Luffy said.

"Zolo-san! Stop!" Manny said. His worry for the first time clear on his face.

"Then I'll just shove'em back in!" Zolo said gripping the bars of the cement and iron cage. With a great heave the cage came off the ground.

"How can you do this?" Nami asked. She'd never thought the human body could even handle that much weight while in top condition. To do this with a hole in his side was ridiculous.

"I do things my own way!" Zolo growled. He lifted the cage onto his back. "So don't give me any lip about it!"

'_I don't get it! No pirate would sacrifice himself to save a friend!' _Nami thought.

Manny watched with worry but didn't protest more. Zolo was the kind of man who did what he wanted and got what he wanted no matter what other's said to him so he settled for his comfort zone. "Uwah... Zolo-san is so scary!"

One last glare from Zolo made Manny grin. He grabbed Nami's hand and jumped off the rooftop, her scream only causing him to laugh.

* * *

><p>"We should be far enough from that tavern." Zolo said. "They probably won't catch up to us too soon. We got away for now. But this cage is starting to annoy me!" Zolo dragged said cage behind him. Luffy, still stuck inside but no longer tied up, chomped at the bars again.<p>

"I can't do anything stuck inside this thing!" he said.

"It's no use.. " Zolo collapsed on the cobble stone road. "lost too much blood...got to rest.."

Zolo jumped back though when he realized he'd dropped right in front of a dog. The dog was a little beat up and gave them a deadpan look.

"What's with you dog?" he asked as he scooted back to sit against a post of the pet shop the dog was sitting in front of.

"Dog? Hey, a dog!" Luffy said more interested in the dog when he decided the bars weren't chewable. "Is it real? It's not moving.."

"Who cares.. It's his business if he moves or not. Our business is to get you out of there." Zolo said. His side was throbbing in pain and still bleeding profusely.

"Maybe it's dead." Luffy wondered. He poked the dog in it's eyes.

The dog latched onto his face with sharp teeth.

"YOW! DUMB DOG! LEMME GO! LEMME GO!" Luffy punched at the dog but he didn't budge.

"Woof! Woof!"

"Luffy, stop playing around!" Zolo yelled his mouth full of sharp rows and veins bulging on his head.

Simultaneously the two fell back exhausted.

"Dumb dog." Luffy mumbled.

Familiar laughter reached their ears. They lifted their heads and saw Manny and Nami walking down the road to them. The former laughing softly as he strolled up to them. Far less amused by their antics, Nami huffed and glared at them.

"Look at you two. Not to criticize, but is the middle of the street really the best hiding place you could come up with?" She asked.

"Hey! It's our navigator!" The two said together.

"Say's who!"

Manny chuckled and walked around her to Zolo.

"I never agreed to that! I just wanted to thank you for saving me." She continued.

"Thank us?"

She tossed a key next to Luffy's cage.

"Hey! The key! You stole the key to the cage!" Luffy said. He grinned exited.

Manny smiled at her. "Thank you, Nami-san."

"Hmph, yeah, sure... I got the stupid key, but I left the map and all the treasure." She huffed.

"This is great! I thought I'd never get out of here!" Luffy said. He laughed happily.

"Then the rescue was a success after all." Zolo said relieved. He absentmindedly swatted away Manny's hands as he reached for Zolo's wounded side.

Luffy reached for the key... but the dog was faster.

The four of them looked on in disbelief as he swallowed the only chance they had of getting Luffy out of the cage. Manny promptly fell over laughing.

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><p>Sorry it took so long.<p>

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><p>I like criticism. It's how I get better. Please review.<p> 


	6. The Dog

Disclaimer; No I don't own anything.

This is a One Piece fanfic that is a yaoi fic.

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><p><strong>Chapter 6 (The Dog)<strong>

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><p>"YOU STUPID DOG! COUGH IT UP! THAT"S NOT FOOD! GIMME THE KEY!" Luffy yelled. His eyes were bulging and his hands closed around the dogs neck. Though given the circumstances his anger was justifiable. Manny couldn't stop laughing. He almost expected these things to happen with Luffy now. Zolo growled at him though so Manny tried to stifle his amusement.<p>

"Darn whipper-snappers! Don't you pick on poor ol' Chou-Chou!" An old man scolded them. His long, white hair and pulled back in a respectable style gave Manny the impression of someone others looked up to. He wore scholars glasses and a simple button down with black shorts. Then came the silly looking armor he wore along with the spear on his back. Manny nearly lost himself again.

"Chou Chou?" Luffy said still struggling with the dog who gave as good as he got.

"Who're you, old timer?" Zolo asked.

"Who am I? I'm the mayor of this town, that's who!" The old man said.

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><p>Inside the Mayor's house Manny lay Zolo down on a bed while Boodle, the Mayor, went and got a first aid kit for him. The old man had noticed Zolo's condition and led Zolo over to his house next door after he refused to go to the shelter to see a doctor. Manny had tagged along letting Zolo use him as a crutch. The green-haired man had grumbled but hadn't protested. Manny reached for Zolo's wound but the swordsman batted his hands away again.<p>

"I just need some sleep and I'll be fine." Zolo growled. Manny grinned deviously at Zolo. Before he knew it he lay on his back staring up at the grinning boy.

"Hey!" Zolo yelled as his wound was jarred. The blue-eyed boy straddled Zolo's thighs and the angry words stuck in his throat.

Manny smirked at the uncomfortable expression and redding of the other's cheeks. Of course a glare and scowl replaced all that when Manny pulled out gauze and a bottle of alcohol.

Zolo grumbled as the black-haired boy started to clean up his wound. Manny's bottom rested comfortably on his thighs and the heat from the other would be causing him much more discomfort if the pain in his side wasn't canceling it out. When Manny leaned down closer to stitch his wound closed, his breath ghosted over Zolo's stomach causing the muscles there to twitch. The swordsman bit his lip and tried to ignore it thanking his pain for keeping him from more embarrassment. Zolo, both disappointed and relieved when Manny finished, sat up to help the younger man wrap the bandages around his torso. Zolo swore Manny purposefully brushed his fingers over his sensitive muscles as he passed the roll of gauze around him.

Manny got off of Zolo to pack away the first aid kit and when he got back to the bed he stared in disbelief then amusement. Zolo lay on the bed fast asleep, snoring lightly. Manny threw a blanket gently over his sleeping form and then left glancing back at the swordsman, a soft grin on his lips.

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><p>"How's Zolo?" Luffy asked as Manny came out of the house. The group sat around Luffy's cage watching Chou Chou eat.<p>

"Mah, he'll be fine. He's sleeping now." Manny said. Luffy nodded mirroring Manny's grin before turning to the Mayor.

"Is this dog's name Chou Chou?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah." Mayor Boodle said inhaling the sweet nicotine from his pipe. Manny breathed in the smoke and smiled at the memories.

"What is he doing here?"

"He's guarding this store. I just came to give him some food." The man said. "The owner of this place is my friend, and ten years ago he opened this store with Chou Chou. This store is filled with cherished memories for those two, although I like it too." The Mayor said. He recalled his cheerful friend with fondness patting Chou Chou on his head. "Look at these wounds, they're definitely from fighting with those pirates and protecting this store."

"But then no matter how precious it is, what's making a dog guard a store with pirates as the enemy? The store owner is with the other people at the shelter, right?" Nami asked appalled that the owner might have left the dog behind to protect his store against vicious pirates alone.

"No... That guy. He's already gone to the next world because of sickness." Mayor Boodle told them. "Three months ago he was hospitalized and then..." The mayor trailed off but his audience understood.

"Then... could it be that the dog's continuing, just waiting for his owner to return?" Nami asked.

"That's what everyone says, but I see it in a different way. Chou Chou's an intelligent dog, he knows that his owner's already passed away."

"Then why still guard the store?" Manny asked leaning against Luffy's cage.

"Obviously, this store is a treasure to Chou Chou. He loved his owner so much and since this is the only property left by the owner, I think he'll continue to guard this store." The mayor said. "It's an unendurable thing. I tried to take him into the shelter a few times, but he won't take a step away from this place. If I just left him here, I think that he'd stay until he starved to death." He sighed a stream of smoke flowing from between his lips.

A silence fell over the group and Manny took the time to observe their new navigator. Lost in memories stirred up by Chou Chou's story, she stared idly at the ground. She looked young but had a dark edge to her. In the way she held herself; not too close to others. In the way she looked at others; always doubtful. But she still held that shine to her eyes that said something or someone gave her strength. Manny liked her, but he didn't need to be psychic to know he couldn't trust her. Not yet.

"Ano, I'm going to check up on Zolo-san." Manny said walking back to the house.

Inside, Zolo still lay on the bed asleep. Manny lifted the blanket gently to check the wound but he didn't see any dark splotches on the gauze. He sat gently next to Zolo on the bed and just observed the green-haired swordsman. Handsome would be the word Manny would use to describe the older man. Manny chuckled softly when he saw that even in sleep the man was gruff and fierce looking.

"RRROOOOOOOOOOAAAARRRR!" The sound shook the silence and Manny jumped, startled. The sound rattled his very bones. The beast that caused it must be huge. He drew the blanket back over Zolo, who didn't even twitch at the ruckus, and heard the sound of a building crumbling behind the Mayor's house.

Outside Manny saw Luffy climbing out of the rubble of a building, cage-free.

"Mah, what happened Luffy-san?" Manny asked. "I heard a really scary roar." Before the other boy could answer Nami and Boodle came running up to them.

"How the hell did you manage to survive!" They yelled in shock pointing in disbelief at the unmarked rubber boy.

"Can't I be alive?" Luffy asked obliviously.

"You smashed through a house, but you appear to be perfectly fine. That's too weird!" Nami yelled pointing to the crumbling building.

"I don't care if it's weird." Luffy said.

"Eh? Smashed through a house? How?" Manny asked wondering what he'd missed in the minutes he'd been gone.

"What is your purpose here? Why are you fighting those pirates?" The Mayor asked Luffy.

"I just chose my goal a moment ago!" Luffy said with a grin. "It's getting the Grandline map and a navigator!" Manny's grin bore signs of severe confusion. Hadn't that been the plan all along? He'd mentioned it a few times already. And why did Luffy just smash through a house?

"I'm gonna go see Zolo for a minute and come back. That fur cap guy was looking for him." Luffy said.

"You idiot, don't! This time you're really going to get eaten by that lion!" The Mayor yelled.

"Eh? Fur cap guy? Eaten by a lion? Is the circus in town?" Manny asked. Every word spoken only made the situation make less sense. Manny followed Luffy around the corner and nearly ran into him when he stopped short.

Chou Chou's pet shop was going up in flames and the poor dog stood before it barking a woeful rhythm as he watched it burn. Tears were streaming down his face. Manny and Luffy stared at the scene. Just down the street a huge lion with a man sitting on it's back strutted away. He could feel the rage he kept housed in the dark corners of his heart burst to the surface making his heart pump and skin tingle. His fists clenched until he could feel his nails digging into his gloves. Hearing Luffy move to pass him, he shot out his arm blocking his Captain's path. It made him hurt terribly when human's trampled all over the innocent of the world.

"Manny?" Luffy asked. Manny's grin took up residence on his face, calm and serene but Luffy could see the older boy's knuckles turning white. Manny began walking toward the Lion Tamer in calm unhurried steps.

Luffy watched Manny until the third step. Before Luffy's eyes he blurred and a streak of green shot toward the tamer landing in front of him and the lion. Manny looked up at the tamer with a cheerful grin.

"Look Richie, here comes another snack." Mohji said meeting Manny's eyes. The black-haired boy came all the way up close to the Lion and it reached it's paw back to swipe at the little human. Manny caught the swipe with his forearm, his veins bulging as he held the lion off. They blinked in shock and then froze.

Rage couldn't possibly begin to describe the fierce emotion storming behind Manny's blue eyes. His grin still in place and his face bright with cheer, a frightening contrast to his electric eyes, he pulled his fist back, crouched low and swung. His fist smashed into the Lion's face with enough force and speed that the lion stood still for a second before flying back and slamming into the building behind him. The building couldn't even withstand the impact and came crumbling down around the lion. The punch was delivered so swiftly that Mohji the tamer, who had only been perched on the lion and not actually holding on didn't go with his lion. He came tumbling down right in front of Manny.

Behind him he could see the crater in the building that his lion left. He trembled at the show of power, sweat dripping down his face. He could hear as the black-haired boy came closer but kept his eyes on the crater too afraid to turn around. Manny reached out and grabbed the tamers head, ramming it into the pavement leaving cracks around the impact center.

Manny walked over to the rubble that was probably the lion's tomb dusting his hands off calmly and picked something up out of it.

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><p>"This guy, that guy. Pirates are all the same. Crushing everything precious to others!" Nami said as she gazed at the burnt rubble that used to be the pet shop. Boodle stood behind her in silence. Chou Chou had stopped howling and just stared wistfully. She spotted Manny as he walked up to Chou Chou. "Oho Mr. Pirate, so you're still alive! I thought you would have been finished off by that Lion."<p>

"Hey... What are you saying?" The Mayor asked as Nami got more worked up.

"Before you get your pirate pals over to raid this village why don't you just go to hell!" The Mayor had to hold Nami back as she yelled at Manny and Luffy. Luffy remained quiet just watching Manny as completely bypassed Nami with a dismissive grin.

"Will you just stop it! Why are you two being like this!" Boodle struggled to hold the raging girl back as she yelled other profanities and threats at the two pirates.

Manny walked over to Chou Chou and set a small box down in front of him, cutting off Nami's lecture.

"That..." she said trailing off. It was a small box of pet food with Chou Chou's face on it.

"I'm sorry but that's the only thing I could save. The rest was already eaten." Manny said sadly sitting down by Chou Chou

'_That guy... he fought with the lion and saved that for the dog.' _She thought.

"You fought well. I'm sure your owner is proud of you." He said.

After a moment, Chou Chou grabbed the box and began to walk away with Manny smiling lazily at the retreating back. Chou Chou stopped a bit away and turned back.

"WOOF!"

"Haha, you be strong too!"

"Woof! Woof!"

And Nami looked on in slight disbelief. All that for a dog. Luffy just grinned.

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><p>Nami, calm now, reluctantly went over to Manny and Luffy.<p>

"Sorry for screaming at you!" she said.

"Mah, mah." Manny said smiling. So she wasn't brave enough to stand up to a lion but she had the guts to admit when she was wrong.

"Hmm? It's okay. You lost someone important to you because of pirates. You've been through a lot, haven't you? You don't need to say anything." Luffy said.

"OOOO! I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!" The Mayor burst out. IT'S JUST SO MISERABLE, SO MISERABLE! CHOU CHOU AND YOU YOUNGSTERS ARE FIGHTING LIKE THIS! BUT WHY IS IT THAT I, BEING THE VILLAGE CHIEF CAN ONLY WATCH OUR VILLAGE BEING TRAMPLED! TO A REAL MAN, THERE ARE SOME FIGHTS THAT CANNOT BE AVOIDED! ISN'T THAT RIGHT, KID!" Mayor Boodle asked Luffy. Manny wondered wether he should be concerned with the implications. He looked at Luffy and knew the boy wouldn't disagree.

"That's right, Mister!" Luffy said and Manny smirked at the response. He was slowly getting a hang of Luffy's train of thought.

"Don't encourage him!" Nami appeared less than amused with Luffy's response.

"40 years ago! This place was just barren wasteland..! From there we built everything as a fresh start! 'Let's build our village here and forget the last village which was destroyed by pirates...' at first it was tiny, and merely a few small houses but the population of villagers increased little by little, and we built more houses and stores and tried our very best! This place has now grown into a successful harbor village! This village was made by the old people! It's a village we made! This village and the villagers are my treasure! What kind of Chief doesn't protect his own village! I'm going to fight!" The Mayor said. It was a moving story.

"BOOM!" Buggy apparently thought different. The buggy ball ripped through the houses right next them leaving a path of destruction. The four were blown off their feet by the shock-wave.

"GRRR! EVEN MY HOUSE!" Mayor Boodle yelled. Manny's breath stuck in his throat and his heart nearly stopped.

"AAAHHH! ZOLO WAS SLEEPING IN THERE!" Luffy voiced their mutual panic.

"Is he dead..! The kid with the haramaki?" Boodle asked.

"Hey, Zolo are you still alive!" Luffy called into the dust cloud surrounding the rubble of the Mayor's house. Manny held his breath as the dust cleared and Zolo's voice came through.

"Yeah... That was some bad way to wake up." He said and Manny exhaled a grin coming unconsciously to his lips. Honestly, a man shoots a cannon ball at him and that's all he can say.

"What a relief! You're alive!" Luffy said.

"Mah, Zolo-san., did you have a nice nap?" Manny asked as he went up to the swordsman to make sure his wounds hadn't opened.

"And just how is it that you survived...?" Nami said in disbelief. Her permanent state of mind around these pirates. Though given that Zolo was completely fine and without a scratch it was understandable.

"It feels as though my heart is being scraped out!" The Mayor yelled.

"Chief!"

"Do you think I'll allow pirates to trample all over us again! For a 'Horse-skeleton-like guy' who suddenly pops out! He has absolutely no right to trample all over our 40 years! I AM CHIEF! I WON'T LEAVE AND LET THIS VILLAGE BE TREATED THIS WAY!" The chief yelled wiping out the spear he held on his back. "Alright, I'm going to fight!" He rushed off in the direction the Buggy ball came from.

"W-wait a minute, Chief!" Nami said grabbing the man's shirt.

"Let go of me, kid!"

"Those people are dangerous! What's the point in going! This is too reckless!" She tried to change his mind.

"I KNOW IT'S RECKLESS!" He yelled. Manny hung back by Zolo understanding the Mayor's resolve. Sometimes there were no other options but recklessness. Zolo and Luffy watched quietly but Nami looked nervous. "You just wait, Buggy the Clown!" He sped off with determination.

"The Chief...was crying!" Nami said.

"Oh really? I didn't see anything." Luffy said. Manny grinned.

"For some reason this is starting to feel more fun.." Zolo said.

"Mah, lot's of fun."

"Heehee-heehee, I agree!"

"How can you still laugh!" Nami yelled at them. The chief had just run off to what was surely his death.

"Don't worry! I like that old man! I'm not going to let him die!" Luffy said no doubt clouding his words.

"How can you still laugh in this kinda situation? Where the hell does your confidence come from!" Nami asked.

"Our destination is the 'Grandline'. Now we're going to steal that map again!" Luffy said. Determination written in his features. "Will you join us? You need the map too, don't you? And the treasure?" He held out his hand to the orange-haired girl.

"I'm not going to become a pirate." Nami said. "Rather than 'partners', let's just say we're 'cooperating', helping each other to achieve our goals." She said slapping Luffy's hand away.

"You're going too? What about your stomach injury?" Nami asked when Zolo stood to follow Luffy and Manny.

"It's all healed." He replied unconcerned.

"Yeah right!" Nami shouted while Manny let out a laugh.

"More important than the injury to my body, is the injury my name suffers because all I did in my last fight was get hurt. Let's go." He said taking his black bandana from his bicep and tying it onto his head, covering his green hair. He looked truly demonic with his eyes shadowed by it.

"Yeah, let's go." Luffy said cracking his knuckles with a grin.

"I'm dumbfounded..." Nami muttered shaking her head.

"Mah, it's easier to just go with it." Manny said as he followed after the eager duo.

The group got to the tavern as Buggy's dismembered hand was holding the Chief off the ground, chocking him. Luffy swiftly put a stop to that, tearing Buggy's hand from the Chief's throat.

"That Straw-hat!" Buggy said anger creasing the skin at the bridge of his nose.

"I've kept my promise! I've come to beat you!" Luffy said with a determined grin.

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><p>I'll try updating every week now. This one is actually early. I meant to put it out on Saturday like the last chapter was but I got impatient. There's a lot of scene dancing in this chapter which I don't really like but that's how the manga hopped around so I had to go with it. Plus I like writing from the perspectives of more than one character so I tend to add a sentence or scene from someone other than Manny's POV. Sorry if it's confusing. ^-^<p>

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><p>I like criticism. It's how I get better. Please review.<p> 


	7. Cabaji v Zolo

Disclaimer; No I don't own anything.

This is a One Piece fanfic that is a yaoi fic.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7 (Cabaji v. Zolo)<strong>

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><p>Manny watched with slight interest as Luffy let go of the hand and it flew back to it's owner. Devil Fruit users truly defied the laws of physics.<p>

"So you come without a single trace of fear by your own will! You morons! YOU'RE ALL SO DEAD!" Buggy yelled from the roof of the tavern.

"Listen, I don't care whether you fight or not, you guys do as you wish. I'm just here for the map and the treasure." Nami told Zolo and Manny.

"Yeah, I know." Zolo said indifferently while Manny nodded.

"All of you... " The Mayor began. Kneeling on the ground, panting he made a pathetic sight. "What did you come back for? You four stay out of this. This is my war! I'm the one who must protect this village! Don't interfere!" He said picking up his spear. He tried to rush the tavern again but Luffy calmly smashed his face into the wall next to them.

"What...?" Nami watched in shock. Weren't they supposed to be helping the Mayor?

"Huh?" Buggy too was confused.

"You-You IDIOT! What the hell was that hot? Why did you do that to the Chief?" Nami yelled as the Mayor slumped to the ground unconscious. Luffy dusted his hands off nonchalantly before answering.

"'Cause he would just get in the way!" Luffy stated matter-of-factly. Manny turned his head away to hide that he was stifling laughter. He didn't want to bring Nami's wrath down on him. Luffy meant well, he just had a piratical way of going about it.

"That was smart thinking. If you had left him alone, without a doubt, he would've charged recklessly. It's safer for him to be unconscious." Zolo said.

"Don't do anything unnecessary!" She yelled at Luffy again while he just looked at her blankly. Manny supposed to him it wasn't unnecessary at all. It wouldn't be the first time Manny wondered how the boy had grown up to have that kind of view.

"Hey you, huge, red, ugly, BIG NOSE!" Luffy yelled up to Buggy making sure to be heard clearly.

"Ehhhh?" The Clown and his crew gaped at the blatant taunting. Manny chuckled at their expressions. Buggy looked livid, the whites of his eyes taking over his eyes while stress marks spread across his face. His crew on the other hand had tears streaming down their faces, their brains short circuiting.

"FIRE THE BUGGY SPECIAL CANNONBALL! FIRE! BE GONE!" Buggy yelled firing his deadly cannon ball at them. Luffy didn't budge.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? You idiot!" Nami said diving out of the way in panic.

"Oi, Luffy! Dodge it!" Zolo tried to get their Captain to take cover to no avail.

"Uwah! It's coming!" Manny said cheerfully, his words not suited to his manner. Still grinning he danced out of the Buggy Ball's range. The thing with Cannon balls was that they caused lots of destruction but were so slow moving, it wasn't hard to get out of its path with just a few steps.

"Do you think just because of a cannon-ball, I'll move a single inch?" Luffy said grinning. He stared down the fuming Buggy with no fear. Zolo gave up on his Captain and got out of the way.

Luffy sucked in air and his rubber body expanded. - "Gomu-Gomu Balloon!" -

The Buggy Ball hit Luffy right in his inflated gut and sunk into it.

"What the hell is that kid!" Buggy screamed incredulous when his cannon-ball did nothing. The Buggy Ball then rocketed back to the roof it came from.

"He bounced it back!" They screamed, scrambling around in terror trying to get out of it's way but they were too late. The tavern exploded in a shower of debris and fire.

"Could've said something sooner." Zolo mumbled as his heart settled. Manny just laughed in delight at the amazing things his Captain's rubber body could do.

"Uwah, that was so cool Luffy-san."

"Yay! Their number's decreased! Let's start!" Luffy said.

"What the hell are you!" Nami yelled at him. She knelt on the ground, her legs having given out from under her.

"So much for blowing us up..." Zolo said.

The dust slowly settled revealing the wreckage that had once been a tavern. Dotted amongst the rubble were Buggy's pirate crew, unconscious or dead.

"Explain yourself! I don't understand this at all! From the moment you fought with the lion and came back alive! This isn't humanly possible!" Nami said. "How the hell did you just swell up like a balloon?"

"Gomu Gomu Balloon!" Luffy said with a sparkle.

"I'm not asking for the name!" She yelled her face comically angry.

"HAHAHA!" The laughter turned their attention to the wreckage.

"You're chatting around making a lotta noise, like you're not scared..." Buggy said holding two of his crew in front of him. He had used them as a shield against the blast. Next to him another of his officers held the lion as a shield.

"Using their crew as shields!" Nami said disgusted. Luffy grinned dangerously and Zolo stared the two down ever serious. Manny stood off to the side grinning lazily his hands hanging from his pockets.

"This is the biggest humiliation we've ever received under our pirate flag, Captain!" The unknown officer commented unconcerned. Almost as strange as his Captain, the man wore a checkered scarf over a sleeveless coat. He wore pants and shoes under it but nothing else. His hair, black and long on one side and checkered and slicked back on the other, added to the checkered motif. Manny wondered what it was supposed to represent.

"I'm so mad words fail me..." Buggy said. The rubble behind Buggy shifted revealing the beast tamer.

"Dammit I was unconscious. What is this, this mess!" he said.

"Mohji... So you're still alive..." The officer said. The tamer noticed what he held and scrambled up angry.

"Cabaji! You, what the heck did you do to Richie?"

"...Ah this kitten?" he asked tossing the large cat to his tamer. "I was afraid my clothes might get dirty, so I just used him as a shield."

"Hey, RIchie! You okay! You Bastard!" The tamer yelled at Cabaji. Then he noticed Luffy and his crew.

"EHCK! The kid in the straw-hat! Captain Buggy, be careful of the kid! The kid's also got powers from the 'Devil's Fruit'! He's a 'Rubberman'!" The tamer warned his Captain a little too late.

"Rubberman!" Nami asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, wanna see..." Luffy said pulling his cheeks inhumanly far apart.

"Devil's Fruit! That's why he can bounce back Buggy special cannonball, but Mohji, if you knew that already..." Buggy said. One of his hands detached grabbing the tamer by his throat. "Why the heck didn't you tell me so earlier!" He chucked the tamer at Luffy.

"But, I did!" He cried sailing toward them.

"Mah, let me handle this Captain." Manny said stepping in front of Luffy as the flying tamer came at them.

"Get out of the way!" He screamed but Manny just grinned and stuck his arm out clothes-lining the guy. He let the tamer's body slid to the ground before kicking him out of Luffy's way.

"Mah, mah. That was too easy. How boring." Manny said his expression still cheerful.

"Stop smiling idiot." Zolo told him. Then the other officer came toward them on a unicycle, his cutlass drawn.

"Buggy's Pirate Fleet's Commander 'Cabaji the Acrobat'!" he said in way of introduction. "I'll avenge the pain you've caused my crew!" Manny didn't believe the man cared any about his crew. Zolo intercepted the man's cutlass with the side of his katana before it hit Luffy.

"If it's swords, I'm all for it." He said darkly, glaring at the checkered man.

"It's an honor, Roronoa Zolo that as a swordsman I get to slay you." Cabaji said. Though Zolo held off the man they could see the tremors that ran through his body. A wound like his, must be causing him immense pain.

"Look, Zolo. I think it's better if I do it. You go take a rest." Luffy tried to get the green-haired swordsman to back down but he'd have none of it.

Cabaji noticed the dark splotch on the swordsman's harmaki._ 'It's the wound he got from fighting the captain... so he's been taking the pain to stay standing up, such a fool!' _Cabaji thought smugly.

"Acrobat Technique, 'Fire Trick'!" Cabaji pulled down his scarf and a stream of fire shot out of his mouth hitting Zolo in his face.

"GAAHH!" With Zolo blinded Cabaji nailed him in his wounded stomach with a sharp kick. Manny grit his teeth at the cheap shot.

"DAMN IT!" Zolo shouted falling back in pain.

"Eh What's this? I didn't even kick you that hard, did I?"

"You dirty bastard! Aiming for the wounded area!" Nami said glaring at the acrobat.

The acrobat shoved his sword into the ground and spun it kicking up a dust cloud.

"Acrobat Technique 'Murder Mist Trick'!"

"Some trick! It's just a cloud of dust!" Zolo said panting.

"Be careful Zolo-san." Manny warned his crewmate. Out of the cloud Cabaji came swinging his sword. Zolo quickly brought his two swords up to meet the other's before he lost his head. Another distraction for a kick to his gut that sent Zolo rolling.

"AAAAAHCK!"

"That bastard did it again!" Nami shouted. Manny grit his teeth and looked over at Luffy. Their Captain watched the fight with an expressionless face.

"What's wrong? A grown man rolling around crying out loud is absolutely pathetic to watch." Cabaji taunted. "Because of your partner's odd power we've suddenly gone to pieces. Even though you're a 'pirate hunter', making the Buggy Pirate Fleet your enemy was a big mistake."

Zolo gasped in air as he tried to get up. His wound throbbed sending shivers through his body .

"Fighting with that injury was already too much from the start! Why are you watching all silent and stone-faced! That guy's gonna die!" Nami yelled at Luffy. Luffy ignored her though and continued to watch. Manny followed his Captain's example. Zolo didn't need help. He didn't want it. Both him and Luffy knew if they interfered Zolo would most likely turn his blade against them.

"Roronoa Zolo! Go to the next world!" Cabaji shouted lunging at Zolo again. Zolo punched him right off his silly unicycle.

"AAHCK!"

"OOOHH!" Luffy said delighted.

"Uwah..." Manny said grinning.

"What an annoying guy! Do you find tearing up my wound that much fun!" Zolo asked calmly as he stood. Then he pulled his sword back and did something Manny had never seen anyone do in his life. He cut his own wound open again.

"What! He cut himself?" Cabaji said in shock.

Nami gasped and Luffy cringed. Manny was dumbfounded and he found himself wondering again whether he should laugh or cry.

"My goal is to become the world's greatest swordsman..." Zolo said drawing his third sword.

"What the hell..!"

"Is my condition now satisfying enough for you? Lemme teach you the difference in level between us." He said putting the sword between his teeth.

"Wahhh.. so cool..!" Luffy shouted.

"Mah, so cool!" Manny parroted.

"Roronoa Zolo, you impudent fool...!" Cabaji said.

"Ahh..! Just looking at him makes me feel like he's going to collapse any second..." Nami said. She worried for the swordsman's heath. If he kept going like this he'd most likely die before the acrobat got to him.

"GO ZOLO!" Luffy shouted unconcerned. Manny watched silently.

"To anyone that calls himself a swordsman. I won't allow myself to lose even once to him!" Zolo said.

"Oho.. You got a strong determination there... but don't worry, fighting me with such a serious injury, you can use that as an excuse when I defeat you." Cabaji said still smug after Zolo's little drama.

"Non-sense! With this sort of injury, if I lose against the likes of you, my future carries an obvious fate..." Zolo took a stance spreading his teo swords off to either side pointing down.

"You asshole!" Cabaji grit his teeth at the insult. Buggy watched silently from across the road.

"Hey!" Nami said catching Luffy's and Manny's attention. She's gotten caught up in the fight but now she had more important things to do.

"Mm?"

"Behind the destroyed pub there's a warehouse. Their treasure is there and the 'Grand Line' map is probably still with Buggy. Since the pirates are unconscious, I'll use the moment to slip over there, and after I acquire the warehouse's treasure, I'll make my escape. Since whether you win the fight or not, has nothing to do with me! But if you actually manage to fulfill your part and get the map. Let's 'cooperate' again when that happens!" she said heading down an alley. "Then off I go! I wish you a good fight!"

"Okay thanks." Luffy said but Manny just watched her go silently before turning back to the fight.

"Take a taste of the best trick that I have!" Cabaji said throwing out a bunch of spinning tops. "Acrobat Technique 'One Hundred Tops Typhoon'!" Then he steered his unicycle to the building next to him and rode it up the wall! "Acrobat Technique 'Wall Riding'!"

Zolo knocked the spinning tops away easily with his swords. Distracted by the tops he didn't see where Cabaji went until the man was falling toward him from the sky.

"Acrobat Technique 'Midsummer Firecrackers Ignition'!" he yelled.

"Waaaah, that's high!" Luffy said shielding his eyes with his hand as he looked up with Manny.

"Direct Stab!" Cabaji said angling his sword down as he came at Zolo.

"Ground Runner 'Chop Chop Cannon'!" Buggy yelled, his detached hand coming toward Zolo. "Cabaji! I'll grab him in place, so finish Zolo off!"

"Yes Captain!"

"That bastard!" Zolo ground his teeth as the clown interfered with his fight.

"GAAAAHHHH!" He needn't worry though. Luffy held the hand under the heel of his foot grinding it into the ground.

"Don't interfere with Zolo's fight!" he said as Buggy wiggled around holding his arm.

"You asshole!"

"Even without the Captain's help finishing you off will be a piece of cake!" Cabaji said. Zolo dove out of the way and Cabaji's sword pierced the ground instead.

"Stop now... I'm tired..." Zolo said as he heaved his tired body up again.

"You're tired? Hahahahaha. Are you getting anemia? You've finally given up. Well I suppose it was obvious!" The acrobat laughed at Zolo. Zolo calmly kicked the man off his unicycle.

"Argh!"

"I meant I'm tired of being the opponent of someone who had such pitiful skills!" Zolo said glaring demonically at his opponent. A true vision from hell.

"Then let me finish you off now, with my read sword skills!" Cabaji lunged at Zolo again.

"Oni" Zolo said crossing his swords in front of his chest. "Giri!" Cabaji didn't stand a chance as he was roughly cut down.

"Cabaji!"

"Damn it! The world's best pirate at the likes of a common thief! So shameful!" Cabaji said falling unconscious.

"Not a common thief, but a pirate! " Zolo said taking his bandana off and collapsing. "Luffy... I'm gonna sleep."

"Yeah, you sleep. Now I'll finish this off." Luffy said. "Manny take care of Zolo for me."

"Aye, Captain." Manny said dragging Zolo over to the shade of a building.

"You mean you guys are pirates!" Buggy yelled.

"Yeah! Hand over the 'Grand Line' map!" Luffy said.

"So that was your goal... that place isn't exactly somewhere nameless pirates like yourself can go as they please. So what are you planning to do there! You wanna go have a sightseeing tour!"

"I'm gonna become the Pirate King." Luffy said it like a factual statement. Manny chuckled at Luffy's fortitude. Buggy looked like someone had given him a knee in his gut.

"Don't kid around! You idiotic fool! You become pirate king! Then I'm a god! The person who'll get his hands on all the treasure in the world will be me! Don't even dream about it!" He yelled. Manny listened with half an ear as he took out an extra roll of bandages and tried to stop the bleeding of Zolo's wound.

"Shut up!" Luffy said. "Skip the lecture, and let's start! You're being too loud, you idiot."

"Yayayayayaht! Watch your mouth, Gomu Gomu! Seeing your straw hat reminds me of a guy I knew a long time ago. The impudent red-haired guy...!" Buggy said.

"Red-haired!" Manny glanced over as Luffy said it acknowledging the familiarity.

'He doesn't mean that red-haired guy did he?' Manny thought.

"Red-haired? Do you know shanks?" Luffy asked. He sounded desperate to get his hands on any information about this man. Manny blanked as he heard the name confirming that it was indeed that red-haired man. Manny's chest swelled with the need to laugh. It figured an exuberant kid like Luffy knew a man like that.

"...Mmm? What's this...? Looks like you're considerably interested. I know him, but why do you want to know?" Buggy asked.

"Where is he now?" Luffy asked.

"Where...? Well.. If I know then I know, and If I don't know then I could also not know anything at all...!" he said trying to play mind games with Luffy. He clearly didn't know the boy very well.

"What are you saying? Are you an idiot?" Luffy asked.

"Whaddya mean 'Idiot', you uncivilized buffoon!" Buggy shouted his face comically angry. "I'm not saying that I'm not a nice enough guy to tell you information that you want to know, even if it's your last wish before you die..." He wiped out eight knives holding them between his knuckles.

"Then let me make you say it by force!" Luffy said pulling his fist back.

'Kuhahaaha! Before you hear it, you're going to be dead. Even though you're rubber, there are still some things that won't bounce off you." Manny whistled when knives came out of the front's of the man's curled toed shoes. Manny could appreciate the classics of hidden weapons. Maybe he'd liberate them from Buggy when Luffy beat him.

"Mm, that's right." Luffy said as calmly as though Buggy had commented on his fashion sense.

"Chop Chop Windmill!" Buggy's bottom half came careening toward Luffy spinning around like a makeshift shuriken. Luffy calmly hopped over the projectile.

"Moving here and there in the air is most likely impossible!" Buggy said sending his knives sailing at Luffy while he was still in the air.

"Why not?" Luffy said stretching his arm out to grasp a light pole puling himself out of harms way. Manny chuckled. Luffy may be rather oblivious and simpleminded but he was quickly turning out to be a genius when it concerned fighting.

"Oho! So, you can do things like that! How interesting!"

"You're an interesting person too. Gomu Gomu Pistol!" Luffy replied his fist shooting at Buggy. He missed as Buggy merely moved his head out of the path.

"It's an interesting ability, but! An arm that's stretched to it's limit is ull of weakness! I'll tear it to shreds!" He said preparing to cut up Luffy's arms. Behind him he didn't notice as Luffy grabbed onto a building and retracted his arm sending him flying to Buggy.

"Huh?"

"Gomu Gomu-"

Buggy panicked as Luffy swung his other arm back. "Chop Chop Emergency Escape!"

"-Scythe!" Luffy's hand went for Buggy's throat – but missed! Buggy had detached his head from his shoulders! Luffy crashed into the building behind Buggy.

"Kuhahahaha! You're not much a threat, Gomu Gomu." Buggy laughed.

"Hey!" Luffy said hopping out of the rubble without a scratch. "Damn! Separating into pieces.."

"H-How is it possible for such a fight! I feel as though I'm dreaming..." Nami said from behind the crumbled tavern, out of site.

"Chop Chop Cannon!" Buggy's arm detached again, four knives in his hands. Luffy caught the arm, the blades centimeters from his face.

"Separate!" The hand separated form the arm and nearly took off Luffy's head. It left deep cuts along his cheek as it sped past knocking his hat from his head.

"Yikes!" Luffy fell back. He picked himself up and stared at his hat.

"You bastard!" He glared at Buggy as blood dripped from his head.

"What? So, you're pissed that your face is scarred?" Buggy said.

"How dare you mess up this hat!" Luffy said. There on the edge of the hat was a tear. Manny leaned forward the fight quickly becoming more interesting. Manny knew how precious that hat was to his Captain but this would be a show of just how much he cared for it.

"What?" Buggy asked confused.

"This is my treasure! I will never forgive anyone who messes up this hat!' Luffy yelled his face a picture of rage.

'_I thought this guy was someone who'd never get agitated at anything, but he's so pissed off now!' _Nami thought from her hiding place.

"Is that hat precious to you?" Buggy asked.

"Yeah, you bastard!" Luffy said. Manny gasped when he saw behind Luffy, the hand throw one of it's blades at him .

"Luffy-san watch out!" he called. Luffy dodged the blade but unbalanced he couldn't move as the hand came at his hat.

"If it's that precious to you then why don't you protect it properly!" The three blades tore through the top of Luffy's straw hat and yanked it out of his hands.

_'This hat is my gift to you.' Shanks said placing the hat onto younger Luffy's head as the boy he cried. _

"Kuhahahaha what sort of treasure is this rag like hat!" Buggy laughed as the hand attached itself to his arm the hat now with him. Luffy grit his teeth and Manny could feel his rage from across the street. Manny's body tensed thrumming with excitement. His grin unconsciously widening in the delightfully dangerous pressure his Captain exuded. Everyone looked on to see what the boy would do.

_'This is my favorite hat, you know. When you become a great pirate in the future, you'll return that hat to me.'_

"That's the hat I swore myself to with Shanks!" Luffy yelled running at Buggy.

'What? This is Shanks' hat? I thought it looked familiar! Me and that guy used to be in the same pirate ship." Buggy said dropping the hat on the ground and spitting on it. "To rephrase that, he was my comrade when we were still pirate trainees."

"Shanks is a great man, you say that he was your comrade!" Luffy said pulling his fist back.

"Chop Chop Emergency Escape!" Buggy yelled predicting the black-haired boy's next move.

"Don't compare yourself with him!" He didn't expect for Luffy to faint and nail him between his legs with a kick instead.

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><p>I like criticism. It's how I get better. Please review.<p> 


	8. Buggy V Luffy

Disclaimer; No I don't own anything.

This is a One Piece yaoi fanfic. Zolo/OC

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><p><strong>Chapter 8 (Buggy V Luffy)<strong>

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><p>Manny cracked up at the look on Buggy's face when Luffy kicked him. His eyes were bugged out with tears streaming down his face and blood came flying out of his mouth. It was all too much for Manny.<p>

Buggy collapsed on his back.

"Dammit, how dare you treat my treasure like that! You even spat on it!" Luffy said. He picked up his hat and rubbed it petulantly against Buggy's face to get the spit off.

"Puuht! Puuheht! That's dirty, stop it!" Buggy yelled.

"It's your own saliva!" Luffy said. "Shanks being your comrade. Don't you dare repeat those words ever again!" He pulled Buggy up by his cheeks trying to stretch it as though it were his own rubbery face. Manny could appreciate Luffy's childish revenge. It made his lungs tingle with suppressed laughter.

"Heh.. even though I don't know what sort of relationship you had with Shanks! It's my own choice how I can speak of him!" Buggy said. "Take this! Chop Chop..."

"Stay still!" Luffy yelled before Buggy could finish chopping the man right on his face sending him back to the ground. Manny wondered if he should begin to worry that all of his Captain's fights were going to be like this. Because if they were he might die laughing at the sheer silliness.

"Aiyayah... I was so fascinated, I kept on watching. I've got to quickly steal the warehouse treasure and run away!" Nami said shaking herself from her awe of the devil fruit powers.

"Throughout my whole life, even until today, there has not been a single person who has made me madder than he did!" Buggy said as he got up now that Luffy wasn't sitting on him. "That bastard, he... he took a tremendous amount of treasure from me! I can't forgive him!"

"_Ooooh, they're fighting again!"_

"_Hahaha. Fight, fight! Don't lose to each other!"_

_A young Buggy and Shanks grabbed each other by their collars and stared each other down._

"_It's the north pole!" Buggy yelled._

"_No, it's the south pole!" Shanks argued._

"_You're still insisting on that, moron!"_

"_Of course! I'm telling you I'm right!" They threw punches and generally rough housed as the crew looked on entertained._

"_Enough is enough!" One of the crew said knocking his fists against the boy's heads. "You two always gonna fight or what! I can't see why whether the north pole or the south pole is colder has to do with you! If you want to know so badly, go to both places and check for yourself! Idiots..."_

"_A vessel is coming from the northwest!" The lookout warned the deck. From the distance the figure of a ship came closer and the pirates took up arms exited about something to finally do._

"_Okay! AttacK!"_

"_Let's start the action!"_

"_Looks like you're excited, Buggy." Shanks said. Beside him Buggy was holding two of his trademark knives. Too big for him then. _

"_A vessel's the same as a treasure box! The most important thing to a pirate is his loot!"_

"_Well, that's one thing..." Shanks said drawing his cutlass._

"_It's not just one thing. It's everything!" Buggy argued scowling at the other boy. "Too nice for your own good. You and this ship's pirates don't treat treasure seriously enough! You don't know what a pirate really is!"_

_The pirates came up next to the vessel and jumped aboard starting a rough fight with it's crew. In the tussle Buggy found a treasure map. It showed that a huge amount of treasure lay on the sea-bed marked on it. _

_'Treasure map! First time seeing one!' Buggy thought shocked. 'Aahhaaa no one could've seen it. Kuhahahaa who wouldn't keep this to themselves.' He slipped the map into his shirt shiftily glancing behind him to make sure no one saw. 'Yahoo! From now on my life's worries will end and happiness will come.'_

"_Hahahaaha! Today we have another delightful victory! Drink! Drink to you heart's content, raise your voices and sing!" _

_While the rest of the crew celebrated Buggy hid away in one of the cabin's. Shanks stumbled inside looking for the clown. _

"_Oi, Buggy! Let's celebrate together! We found a weird treasure, too!" Shanks told the clown._

"_W-whaddya mean treasure. I didn't do anything at all! I don't know anything!" Buggy panicked thinking he'd been caught._

"_Whatcha talking about?" Shanks asked confused._

_Later that night him and Buggy sat on the deck together talking. _

"_We too one day, will get off this ship." Buggy said._

"_Of course we will. If I get to have my own ship I'm planning to go around and see the world. As a pirate, of course." Shanks said._

"_Heheheheeh! Talking absolute nonsense as usual." Buggy laughed._

"_Oh yeah?"_

"_I can understand and accept your fighting skills If it weren't for your crazy way of thinking I wouldn't mind taking you in as my crew member."_

"_Your follower! Like I want to be!" Shanks said taking a chug from his bottle. "Because we think so differently we just need to travel the path each thinks best. That's what a pirate life is like!"_

"_Hahaahaha! It's funny to hear things about pirates from your mouth. But if that happens then when we meet each other at sea again. We'll meet as enemies!" Buggy said smugly._

"_Yep. That's just another part of a pirate's life."_

"_What the hell are you talking about?" Buggy asked wondering what the red-haired boy was thinking. "Hey, didn't you just say something about some weird treasure?"_

"_Hmm.. Yes, we've got this 'Devil's Fruit'. I once heard that the devil's fruits are all the sea-devil's incarnations. If you eat it you'll gain a special ability, but you won't be able to swim." Shanks said. "The captain said that whoever wants to eat it can have it."_

"_Haahaahhaha! Don't wanna eat that sorta thing and end up unable to swim for the rest of my life." Buggy said scoffing._

_'Hueh.. scary... Anyone who eats that sort of thing is no doubt a real idiot. If there's a treasure lying on the seabed and you can't swim, then you can't go and get it!' Buggy thought._

"_But that odd fruit..." Shanks began. "Turns out it sells for around 100 million beli, if you can believe it."_

_Behind Shanks Buggy's eyes bugged out. "What? Is that true!"_

_'If it's one hundred million beli then it's more than the selling price of 10 A-ranked treasure boxes! The treasure goddess must be smiling down at me right now!'_

"_Pirate trainee Buggy! He will eat the Devil's fruit!" Buggy said early the next morning as he held up the strange swirly fruit._

"_Hahahaahah being young is a wonderful thing, since you can be so carefree."_

"_Good going Buggy. I have more respect for you now!" The crew shouted._

"_Ohht he ate it!" They said as Buggy shoved the whole fruit in his mouth and swallowed._

"_So how's it feel Buggy? Feel any difference in your body?" The crew asked._

"_No... Not really." Buggy said._

"_What? Was it a fake?"_

"_Well the story of the devil's fruit was a rumored story from the start." a man said._

_'Kekekekeek! You've got it exactly right! What I just ate was a fake I spent all night working on and switching.' Buggy thought with a smug grin._

_Later Buggy hid behind a few crates and looked at his loot._

"_Everything turned out as planned! I don't need to be a pirate trainee anymore. I better get off this ship before anyone finds out. With the money from selling the fruit and the treasure from the map, I could form the best pirate crew in the world and steal the most valu-" Buggy was cut off in his rant as Shanks peered over the crate._

"_You Buggy, whatcha doing here?" he asked. Shocked Buggy shoved the fruit into his mouth to hide it. "Your face sure is a sight. Don't steal too much food. The cook will get mad!" he said walking away._

_'Phew... the danger has passed.' Buggy thought sagging in relief._

"_Oh yeah! If I think about it the captain just-" Shanks said popping up behind Buggy again. Buggy jumped and accidently swallowed the fruit. There was a second of silence before Buggy bugged out._

"_AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! You-you-you bastard! I-I-I AAAAAHHHH!" Buggy yelled grabbing Shanks by his collar too angry to form proper sentences._

"_What is that? That piece of paper." Shanks asked as he watched it fly into the sea._

"_AAAAHHH, MY MAP!" Buggy yelled jumping in after it._

"_Hey! Buggy!" Shanks called after him._

_Under the surface Buggy quickly sunk as the sea turned against him dragging him deeper._

_'What the.. my body can't move properly.' he thought. He managed to break the surface and began calling for help._

"_Someone save me!"_

"_Hey, man. Watcha doing? Swimming's your specialty!" Shanks called out confused as Buggy thrashed in the water._

"_What the? What's going on, Shanks?" A crew member asked as he came to see what the commotion was about. "Ehhh? What's that guy doing?"_

"_I'll save you!" Shanks yelled jumping into the sea after Buggy._

"So I ate a one hundred million beli worth fruit and became unable to swim! And I also missed the treasure lying on the seabed!" Buggy finished his story his angry palpable. Manny had long since lost the ability to breathe as he silently heaved next to the sleeping Zolo. He held his gut as stabs of pain lanced up his side. He wondered if this was why he was called Buggy the Clown.

"Oh... so Shanks saved your life." Luffy said happily.

"I'm not talking about that part! Because of that idiot my future life plans were postponed for ten years!" Buggy yelled separating his top half and flying into the air. "So that's why I promised myself! If I can't get anything under the sea then I'd settle for every treasure above it, with this Devil's Fruit power! Because of that whoever touches my treasure, whoever that is I never..." He said spotting Nami as she came out of his treasure shed. "Leave them alive!" He shot off toward her completely bypassing Luffy. Manny followed Buggy's line of site and jumped up running toward the girl.

Nami looked over in surprise and her stomach sunk as she saw the raging clown coming at her.

"Eh?"

"PUT MY TREASURE DOWN!" Buggy yelled sailing right at her his dangerous blades spread out on both hands.

"Crap! He noticed me!" She said panicking.

"Since when did you think you could fool me, Nami! Let em send you painfully to the netherworld! I'm not giving you a single thing!"

"GYAAAAH!" Nami screamed trying to get away. Manny appeared before her ready to disable Buggy but Buggy stopped short a look of terrible pain on his face. A familiar look. Manny looked over the clown's shoulder and saw Luffy. His foot between the clowns wayward legs. His laughter renewed at the sight. Buggy's top half fell to the ground, his knives scattering.

"D-Damn Gomu Gomu kid! Dare to kick my bottom half!" He gasped.

"Your opponent is still me." Luffy said grinning as the bottom half of Buggy wriggled behind him.

"I'm alive..." Nami said surprised.

"Mah, Nami-san. Put that treasure down and go somewhere safer. You're going to get chased again otherwise." Manny told the girl his laughter brought back under control.

"Put the treasure down and go!" She said in disbelief. "I don't want to! Why should I leave my treasure behind!"

"Y-your treasure!" Buggy growled.

"Of Course! Since I'm a pirate-treasure thief and I just stole from a pirate, I'm telling you this treasure is mine!" Manny snickered at her logic.

"Ah.. I see..." Luffy said hitting his fist to the palm of his hand though he clearly didn't understand.

"What non-sense! That treasure's mine! Do you think that if you steal it it's you're! How the hell were you brought up?" Buggy yelled.

"A lecture from a bad guy? Stop that nonsense." Nami said and Manny wondered what constituted as a bad guy to her that she didn't include herself in that category.

"What!"

"I don't think I've done anything bad enough to be lectured by a pirate!" She stuck her tongue out at Buggy her face smug.

"You're prepared for this, aren't you Nami!" Buggy asked her and Manny tensed.

"Chop Chop Festival!" Buggy yelled and his body split into many pieces flying around the two.

"What?" Luffy looked in shock as parts of Buggy whirled all around him.

"Kuhahahaha! See if you can protect your friend now!"

"Damn it! There should be a limit to this Chop Chop ability! If it's like this, there's no way I can fight him!" Luffy said.

"Huh? What's this?" Luffy spotted Buggy's feet trying to sneak away. "The feet can't fly?"

"GIVE ME BACK MY TREASURE!" Buggy said his head and hands sailing at Manny as Nami cowered behind him.

"I WON'T!" Nami yelled.

Manny slapped one hand away and dodged the other trying to avoid the appendages.

"Huh?" Buggy said. Behind him Luffy took the foot he caught and slipped the shoe off.

He began to tickle it.

"HEHEHEHEEHEHEHEEHE! S-S-STOP IT YOU IDIOT!" Buggy yelled.

"GYAAAAAAHH?" Nami screamed trying to run away from the ridiculous faces Buggy was making. Manny grinned. Honestly how was he supposed to be serious about a fight like this.

"The one that's got to stop is you!" Luffy said slamming the toes into the ground.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Mah, Mah Buggy-san. Your face sure is weird." Manny commented as the expression kept getting more ridiculous.

"Y-Y-YOUR FACE IS WEIRD!" Buggy growled out through the pain.

"You're pretty tough.." Luffy said pinching the ankle causing Buggy's face to distort again.

"Stop it you idiot!" Buggy yelled at Luffy.

"Ano, the one that's got to stop is you Buggy-san." Manny said grabbing a hold of Nami's treasure bag and smacking Buggy's head with it.

"Hey my treasure!" Nami yelled smacking Manny in the back of the head.

"Sorry Nami-san." He said pulling back on the bag. It didn't budge.

"The treasure has been returned!" Buggy said his hands holding onto the bag.

"Huh! Let go!" Nami said quickly grabbing onto the bag and trying to pull it away from the floating man.

"Let go? The one who should let go is you!" Said Buggy with a sinister grin. Manny let go of the treasure and turned in time to grab hold of Buggy's hands, each with a knife in them, before him and Nami could be skewered.

"It's my treasure!" Nami protested refusing to let go.

"I just told you," Luffy said from right behind Buggy. "that your opponent is me!" Buggy's head turned to look behind him. Luffy's foot slammed into his face and Manny ducked as the man's upper body flew over their heads, bag of treasure and all. Around them Buggy's body parts fell limp.

"Bullseye!" Luffy said. "That last kick was for the village Chief!" He reached up to wipe the blood still flowing steadily down his cheek with the back of his hand. Nami glanced behind her at Buggy who lay unconscious amongst the scattered treasure.

"Thank you. Thanks to you, I'm alive." Nami said to Luffy.

"Hmmm.. Don't worry about it." Luffy brushed her thanks off before turning to the treasure. "Oh yeah! The map..."

"Ahh! My treasure got scattered everywhere!" Nami whined.

"Alright! I've finally got it. The 'Grand Line' map!" Said Luffy. He held up the browning paper in his fist with a triumphant grin.

"Wait! Wait, Gomu Gomu kid!" Manny glanced over his shoulder to the floating head of Buggy. Apparently Luffy's direct kick hadn't rendered the clown incapable of movement.

"Eh? You're still alive." Luffy said bluntly. He gave the clown a mildly irritated look. The kind one gives to a fly that just won't be swatted dead and buzzes incessantly around one's face.

"I'll kill you once and for all!" Buggy shouted. "Gather up! Chop Chop parts!" He waited for his body arts to come together, but something went wrong. He didn't remember Luffy being quite so tall. Glancing down, his eyes widened at the cause.

"Eh!" Buggy's body hadn't all come together. Attached to his head were only his hands and his feet leaving him a tiny little chibi. An ugly one for sure. Manny tried to hold it in. He really did...

"Hahahahahahaha!"

"You wouldn't happen to be looking for these, would you?" Nami asked cockily. She held a rope in her hand that led to Buggy's other body parts, all neatly tied up and held under her foot.

"Yikes! My body parts!"

"Hahahahahaha! A thief definitely has some cool skills! Leave the rest to me!" Said Luffy. He stretched his arms out behind him as far as they would go. "Get lost Buggy! Gomu Gomu-"

"STOOOOOOPPP!" Buggy cried utterly defenseless against Luffy's coming assault.

"-Bazooka!" And Buggy went flying into the sky, hopefully never to be heard from again.

"Victory!" Luffy shouted throwing his arms into the air with abandon.

"Now you're gonna become my crew member, right?" He asked Nami. The girl came up to them after having gathered up her treasure back into the bag.

"I'm just cooperating with you while it serves my purpose, remember that! I'll say okay for now, since it seems that if i go along with you guys I'll be able to earn a lot! Buggy said that he only takes the best treasures for himself, so this bag's contents are of the highest quality! This much treasure should be worth at least 10 million beli!" She said happily rubbing her face against the bag under Manny's amused gaze. "I've divided it into two bags so you hold half of it. This treasure is so heavy that carrying it alone is difficult."

Neither Manny nor Luffy were paying attention however. Luffy gazed just a touch sadly at his now torn hat. Manny winced remembering the tale the boy had told.

"That hat.. is it that precious to you?" She asked as she noticed their inattention.

"Yeah, but it's alright." Luffy said plopping the hat onto his head. "I feel better now that I got rid of Buggy!" He cheerfully walked up to the still sleeping swordsman.

"Oi Zolo, get up! Let's go!" he called patting the man's head.

"Hmm?" Zolo muttered groggily as he sat up. "Did you finish the fight?"

"Yeah, we also got the map and the treasure." Luffy said.

"Ahh, I don't think I can walk yet." Zolo swayed where he sat holding his head.

"Obviously! If you guys can still walk, then you aren't human..." Nami scoffed at them.

"Why did you include me?" Luffy asked indignantly.

"You're the weirdest!" She shouted at him bearing sharp teeth in a fierce snarl. Manny grinned.

"Mah, Nami-san is so scary." He said from on the other side of Zolo. Far enough that he only received a glare for his comment.

"Oh yeah. I'll wake up the Chief!" Luffy said suddenly remembering the still unconscious man.

"You guys." A voice called from down the street. Their group turned to see a precession of village people with all manner of weapons coming up it. "We're the people of this village. Did the pirates stir up a fight amongst themselves? If you know anything please tell us."

"Oh, so you're the villagers. I think some of the pirate crew are still here." Nami said. "If you want us to tell you then there isn't anything much left to tell you." Her vagueness wasn't exactly subtle.

"AH! CHIEF!" The man shouted. He'd spotted the man lying unconscious on the ground, bloody and beaten up. "Goodness gracious! Please get up!"

"Dammit! What happened here!" Another man demanded.

"It's definitively the work of those pirates!"

"Ah, sorry... I did that to the chief!" Luffy said obliviously. The snicker left Manny's lips before he could stop it. The village people immediately turned dour and menacing.

"What?"

"Ano, I don't think that was a good idea Luffy-san. They look really scary now."

"Hey! Why did you tell them that kinda thing on purpose!" Nami shouted disbelievingly at the boy.

"You saw me do it, right?" Luffy asked.

"I know, but still! That was because you had a good reason!"

"All of you, how dare you do this to our Chief!"

"It doesn't matter what sort of excuse you give us!"

"Who the hell are you! Could you be pirates!" The Villagers yelled at them brandishing their weapons and inching closer.

'_Ooh, If we didn't know any better, and just said "we're thieves" or "we're pirates" then it's be instant death!' _Nami thought clenching her teeth.

"We _are_ pirates!" Luffy stated factually. Nami hung her head as Luffy once again bluntly told the truth in the most inconvenient of times.

"So you are!"

"Hahaha!" Zolo burst out laughing. Manny laughed right alongside him.

"Baka!" Nami was not nearly so amused.

"But it's the truth!" Luffy said. He couldn't figure out what he'd done wrong as Nami nearly growled in his face.

"Let's run away!" He said cheerfully. Manny quickly hauled Zolo up onto his back and ran ahead the other two following, each with a bag of treasure on their backs. The villagers right on their tails.

"Why the hell did you make the situation more complicated?" Nami scolded Luffy as they ran along.

"This is a good village!" Luffy said.

"Wha?"

"For their Chief, for just one person, they're all getting that mad!" Luffy said grinning. "No matter what excuse we give, they'll still be mad at us!" Manny grinned. He had no doubt that what Luffy said was true. He just pushed his legs harder trying not to jostle Zolo anymore than he needed to. Manny's legs propelled him further as he easily ran ahead of his crew mates and he quickly skidded into an alleyway the others following not soon after.

"They're running away through an alley!" The villagers shouted following only to pull up short.

"WOOF!" Bandaged up and looking fiercer than ever, ChouChou gave the villagers a warning growl.

"ChouChou!"

"Ahh, that dog!" Luffy said as they looked back at the one-dog-barricade giving them a chance to escape.

"Hua... Was getting pretty worried. Thanks to ChouChou, we barely got away. Why does it always end up this way?" Nami said. They'd made it to the little dock without further trouble.

"Who cares what they think. We did what we came to do!" Luffy said. "Is this your boat?" Their boat, tied up next to Nami's, looked pitiful in comparison though Nami's boat was only slightly bigger than it. The boat had triangles decorating the top of the hull and still flew under Buggy's sail. Whatever could be said of Buggy he certainly had high quality vessels.

"Wah! It's cool. I envy you." Luffy said.

"I don't think so," Nami told him with a sweat drop. "I stole it from a bunch of stupid pirates."

"We've been waiting for you, thief!" Three very familiar pirates popped up from the deck of Nami's boat where they had been laying in wait.

"You-you guys are..." Nami said nervously as she eyed the "stupid pirates" she'd tricked.

"We knew you'd come back if we stayed here." One said.

"Hehehe! I never dreamed that we'd see this boat again in this very harbor after you stole it."

"You won't be able to say that you've forgotten us!" They glared at the girl smugly.

"You know them?" Luffy asked.

"Hmm! Sort of.." Said Nami.

"Sort of'! We have a long history!" The leader interrupted. "So you have a gang now? I guess we get to teach you all a lesson."

"Stealing from others is such a terrible thing to do." He said as he came closer before all three froze as Manny and Zolo came into view.

"Mah, Zolo-san! Look." Manny said nudging Zolo awake. "It's our friends from earlier."

"Huh!" Zolo said as he lifted his head. His face twisted into a demonic visage as he glared at the pirates who'd interrupted his nap. They jumped back in shock, faces pictures of terror and dove into the ocean.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!" Manny could hear their screams as they torpedoed through the water in their haste to get away.

"What was that about?" Nami gave Manny a strange look. Zolo'd already let his head fall back onto Manny's shoulder. His soft green hair brushed against the sensitive scar tissue at his neck and Manny shivered. He gave Nami an eery grin and said nothing moving over to their boat. She gave a glare at his retreating back trying to pretend as though the grin hadn't made a chill go down her spine.

"Okay lets go" Luffy said readily hopping into the dingy with Manny and Zolo. "Hey, that flag has Buggy's mark on it."

"It was those Pirates' boat so of course it does. I'll erase it later." Said Nami tightening the sails. She and Manny shoved their respective boats off.

"STOP RIGHT THERE YOU MORONS!" Their group turned to look at the dock where the mayor stood out of breathe. He must have run all the way to the docks when he'd woken.

"Mister Chief!" Luffy greeted cheerfully.

'_I really thought it was okay for me to die at that time! In my despair, I considered death to be nothing!' _The mayor thought as he caught his breathe. The pirates waiting patiently.

"I'M SORRY! I OWE YOU!" He shouted tears streaming down his face behind cracked glasses. Luffy, Manny, Zolo and Nami grinned at the man.

"Don't worry about it! Just live happy lives!" Luffy shouted waving his arms goodbye.

* * *

><p>I like criticism. It's how I get better. Please review.<p> 


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